Burma - UNSC Discussion

12 December 2005 – United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today commended the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) for its call on Myanmar to “expedite” both its political reform efforts and its release of political detainees, including democracy activist Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

That call was made during ASEAN’s 11th Summit in Kuala Lumpur, along with an announcement that the organization will send Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar to Myanmar to learn first-hand whether the country is making steps toward democracy. Mr. Annan also welcomed this development in a statement released by his spokesman.

In addition, the Secretary-General commended Myanmar for its decision to accept the envoy.

In November, Mr. Annan expressed deep disappointment at the decision of the authorities to extend the confinement of Ms. Suu Kyi, who is the General Secretary of the National League for Democracy (NLD) and a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

Over the past several years, the Secretary-General has been pushing the Government of the South Asian country to release her and allow a role for opposition parties.

While there had been signs of progress in 2003 when the Myanmar authorities announced their seven-point road map towards democracy, basic goals have not been met since then, according to the most recent report by Mr. Annan.

In that report, he said the National Convention charged with drawing up principles for a new constitution continues to exclude representatives of many political parties, including the NLD.

The Secretary-General also took the opportunity of the ASEAN meeting to congratulate leaders of the organization for signing the “Kuala Lumpur Declaration” this morning, paving the way for the formation of an ASEAN Charter and providing the bloc with both a legal and institutional basis.

reference site: UN.org News on Burma

reference site: www.uscampaignforburma.org

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reference to: http://www.mandalar.net/aunghlaingwin.htm

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Press Release (Assistance Association for Political Prisoners)

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By Sebastien Berger in Mae Sot
(Filed: 02/12/2005)

Torture techniques used by Burma's security services to terrorise the regime's opponents are revealed in unprecedented detail in a report released today.

Based on the testimony of 35 former political prisoners, it describes beatings, electric shocks, burning with lighters, water tortures and attempts to use dogs to rape male prisoners.

	Aye Aye Moe was arrested and beaten for visiting her brother

"I can forgive my torturers everything but the sexual abuse," said a victim of the last method. "No religion permits such an act. It has destroyed my self-esteem, my dignity."

Another man was told by his tormentors: "Moe Aye, think carefully and tell us the truth. If you don't, we will make you a homosexual."

The document is published as the UN Security Council prepares to debate Burma for the first time at the request of the US, which specifically cited the country's 1,100 political prisoners.

The most prominent prisoner is Aung San Suu Kyi, the National League for Democracy leader. This week, the Nobel peace prize winner had her house arrest extended for another six months.

The new report on torture was compiled by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), an exile group based in Mae Sot, just over the Thai border.

"The military regime seeks not only to break down the identity of former political prisoners, but also to make them walking advertisements for the consequences of speaking out against the regime," it says.

"Many former political prisoners repeatedly explain that once they are a political prisoner, they are always a political prisoner."

One stress position used to torture victims it describes is "the aeroplane", whereby prisoners balance on one foot holding out their arms and other leg.

Another is "the motorcycle", where they must balance on the balls of their feet, often with pins beneath their feet, while making engine noises.

A third, "the Semigwa dance", is based on a traditional Burmese performance but involves crawling over gravel on knees and elbows.

Women are not exempt and have been threatened with rape. One female prisoner quoted in the report said: "The officer slapped me a number of times and other officers punched me on the back.

"After that, he threatened that I shouldn't forget I was a virgin. This terrified me more than the beatings."

One of those interviewed for the report, Myo Myint, yesterday described his ordeal in an interview in Mae Sot.

As a Burmese soldier, he lost a foot, hand and most of his remaining fingers fighting Communist insurgents.

But his military record was no defence once he turned against the government.

"As soon as they arrested me they sent me to an interrogation centre," he said. "They punched and hit my face and chest, then they put me on the see-saw."

Tied to what would normally be a playground toy, he was laid head-down and beaten for hours, until his skull pounded with the pressure of blood.

"They showed me the people who had been beaten, all bloody. One of my colleagues was beaten to death."

Released in 1997, he was re-arrested within a month. "The second time was worse. At first they didn't say anything, they just tied me up, kicked and hit me. For 11 days I was not allowed to sleep.

"An iron bar was rolled along my shin until the skin ripped - it really hurt."

Threatened with a third arrest earlier this year and unable to face any more torture, he fled.

Aye Aye Moe, who was not involved in politics but arrested aged 23 after visiting her activist brother, was subjected to surreal questioning and kicked in the breasts and stomach.

"I asked them why I had been arrested," she said. "They asked me why I was there."

A Western diplomat in Rangoon said it was widely known that torture was used by the military regime but its extent was unclear.

While the report covers events dating back to 1988 and seeks to extend the definition of torture to include poor prison conditions and healthcare, Bo Kyi, joint secretary of the AAPP, pointed out that an NLD member was beaten to death earlier this year.

No one at Burma's ministry of information was available to comment yesterday.

 reference to: asiasoutheast@telegraph.co.uk