KALADAN NEWS

 

Date: Monday, June 20, 2005

 


Overseas Rohingya Celebrate Daw Suu’s 60th Birthday

 

Chittagong, June 20: Overseas Rohingya celebrated Daw Suu’s 60th Birthday, while the NLD members in exile, Rohingya students at the port city of Bangladesh and NDPHR in Paris, yesterday.

 

A discussion meeting was organized by the NLD members at the port city under the chairmanship of AFK Jilani, an organizer of NLD in Arakan State and the ceremony in Paris was organized by Info-Birmanie,  National Democratic Party for Human Rights, or NDPHR (in exile) and the Burmese democrats living in France.

 

There were more than 50 people participated from different political backgrounds to grace the occasion.

 

The AFK Jilani said in the discussion, “Previously the military junta promised her release on different occasion, but did not release. Rather they confined over 1350 NLD leaders to jail including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi who is the daughter of Burma’s independent hero U Aung San and the winner of Nobel Peace Laureate in 1991.”

 

A student named Baker Ali said, “Suu Kyi’s release is very important and it would be towards Burma’s democracy.”

 

The member of the participants of the ceremony also urged the world leaders to give more pressure to release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and work for the establishment of democracy in Burma.

 

U Tin Soe, a leader of human rights organization, demanded immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma’s opposition leaders who turned 60 years yesterday under military detention.

 

Rohingya Youth Development Forum (RYDF) urged upon the international community to put effective pressure on Burmese military ruler to immediately free Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners including U Tin Oo and U Kyaw Min (a) Master Anwar, a Rohingya MP and a member of CRPP and to put pressure on SPDC to stop all kinds of repression, oppression and discrimination against ethnic minorities, especially ethnic Rohingyas.

 

RYDF statement also mentioned that it is an endless misery of tyranny, not only for the Burmese people but also for the all peace-loving people of the world. The Burmese military ruler is negligent to the repeated calls of the international community to release Daw Suu and bring about the democratic reforms in the country.

 

On the other hand, the activists of National Democratic Party for Human Rights, or NDPHR in exile celebrated the same day on a ship called "Alternat” in Paris, the capital of France. It was attended by more than 100 people including many NGOs and individual French public, said U Hla Aung, the president of NDPHR (in exile) in Paris.

 

First of all, the Venerable monk U Kumara recited Myittathout bawana and five concepts of Buddhism and prayer for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Then Christian prayer- ceremony and Islam prayer -ceremony were followed. Then the conference began with the participation of French NGOs:  FIDH, Khiasma, Info -Birmanie, COSEFEB and NDPHR (in exile). Naturally, the French NGOs expressed their utmost pleasure in attending the ceremony and best wishes for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. They explained the current stance of French Government policy towards Burma and they promised for more effective commitment to push the government to deal with issue of TOTAL Company’s presence in Burma and for the return of democracy, he further stated.


In fact, little more than statements of concern follow Suu Kyi’s detention in May 2003 after pro-government mob savagely attacked on her car convoy
Burma, killing member of her companions.

 

Though Rohingyas, inside Arakan State were unable to celebrate the birthday of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, they send their highest felicitation and commiserations to the democracy icon Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on her birthday occasion, demanding her immediate release to reform democracy in the country.

 

It is an interesting that the Bangladeshi camp officials imposed restriction on the celebration of the birthday in Rohingya refugee camps of Kutupalong and Naypara, at Cox’s Bazar District of Bangladesh, said a refugee leader, who preferred not to mention his name.##

 

 

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