Burma's Suu Kyi receives Amnesty Award
Amnesty International has announced that Burmese (Myanmar) pro-democracy leader and Nobel laureate, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, is being bestowed its most prestigious honour – the “Ambassador of Conscience” Award for 2009.
The announcement of the accolade to in absentia Aung San Suu Kyi was made by Bono during U2’s third Croke Park concert last night. The U2 front-man re-iterated the human rights watchdog optimism that receiving the award in itself "will help keep her safe." Bono continued;
"Her crime is that, if she was free to participate in elections, she would win. This week the brutal force that has her incarcerated will decide if she spends the next five years in prison,"
Now in its 6th year of existence Amnesty’s “Ambassador of Conscience Award”, is awarded in recognition of individuals who possess exceptional leadership qualities in their battle to protect and promote human rights. Past recipients of this prestigious Amnesty award include Nelson Mandela and Mary Robinson. Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney’s poem specially penned for Amnesty International became the inspiration for the award’s inception and is designed to highlight the courageous work undertaken by true advocates of human rights issues around the globe.
Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Irene Khan said;
“This month marks the twentieth anniversary of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s arrest and twenty years since Amnesty International declared her a prisoner of conscience. In those long and often dark years Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has remained a symbol of hope, courage and the undying defence of human rights, not only to the people of Myanmar but to people around the world,”
Ms. Suu Kyi’s fight for Burma’s Human Rights
The (64 year old) Burmese opposition leader of the National League for Democracy, and has been detained under house arrest by Burmese authorities for the last 14 years. Suu Kyi sprang to international prominence when her political party won Burmese national elections in 1990. Despite the political victory the ruling military junta refused to relinquish their control over the country. Whilst her detention order was due to expire on 27 May 2009, Suu Kyi was arrested for allegedly violating the terms of her house arrest by harbouring an American visitor in early 2009. John Yettaw evaded Burmese security personnel by swimming across Inya Lake to stay at her residence in Rangoon.The Rangoon trial has attracted wide international condemnation as many perceive the accusations as a cynical attempt by the military junta to deny Ms Suu Kyi’s participation in Burma’s national elections next year.
The widely anticipated guilty verdict is due on Friday although it remains unclear if sentencing will be passed on the same day if she is found guilty. Under Burmese law the maximum sentence that can be given for this alleged offense is 5 years imprisonment. Despite the global scepticism regarding the judicial outcome Me Suu Kyi's lawyer, Nyan Win remained upbeat;
"We have done our best and she is prepared for the worst................We don't want to speculate, but we will keep exploring all legal avenues."
Her lawyer remained adamant that legal avenues for her release were still viable after highlighting potential flaws in the prosecutions final arguments. He has been denied the request to cross examine a Burmese foreign office official regarding Ms Suu Kyi house arrest terms, since he hoped to argue that she was being held under "protective custody". Regarding this potential legal loop hole Nyan Win said.;
"It isn't a sound argument if looked at from the legal angle,”
Many will be waiting with both eager anticipation and trepidation for the Burmese court’s announcement this Friday.
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