Friday, May 29, 2009

Online campaign gathers support for Myanmar's Suu Kyi

(CNN) -- The global drumbeat against what is widely considered the unlawful detention of Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar grew louder Wednesday with the launch of an online campaign to let supporters leave 64-word messages of support for her.
Aung San Suu Kyi was first detained in 1989 after mass protests against the military government.
Aung San Suu Kyi was first detained in 1989 after mass protests against the military government.

The site, 64 for Aung San Suu Kyi (http://64forsuu.com), aims to collect as many messages as it can by June 19, when the pro-democracy advocate turns 64.
By early Thursday, nearly 3,000 messages had poured in -- from politicians, celebrities and other well-wishers.

"For too long the world has failed to act in the face of this intolerable injustice. That is now changing," British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said in his message. "We must do all we can to make this birthday the last you spend without your freedom."

Author Salman Rushdie, who shares a birthday with Suu Kyi, wrote that he "silently applauded" her endurance.

"This year, silence is impossible," he added. "It is not any action of yours, but your house arrest, which symbolizes the suppression of Burmese democracy, that is criminal. It is your trial, not your struggle, that is unjust. On this day, on every day, I am with you."

The call for Suu Kyi's release has intensified in recent days, as Myanmar tries the Nobel laureate on charges of subversion. The country's military junta, which has ruled since 1962, says she violated her house arrest when she offered temporary shelter to an American man who swam to her lakeside home.

Her supporters say the move is meant to keep her confined so she cannot participate in the general elections that the junta has scheduled for next year.

On Tuesday, U.S. President Barack Obama called for Suu Kyi's immediate and unconditional release from an "arbitrary" and "unjustified" detention.

"Aung San Suu Kyi's continued detention, isolation and show-trial based on spurious charges cast serious doubt on the Burmese regime's willingness to be a responsible member of the international community," Obama said.

Nine Nobel laureates, including Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, also have called for her release, deeming her prosecution a "mockery" in a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

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