mr president tomorrow marks the thirteenth anniversary of the unjust incarceration of aung san suu kyi burma's most revered political prisoner
this timely parliament resolution condemns her continued detention and insists upon her immediate release
aung san suu kyi's latest five-year term of house arrest was extended in may for a further year
article ten b of the burmese state protection law nineteen seventy-five stipulates that a person judged to be a threat to the sovereignty and security of the state and the peace of the people can only be detained for up to five years
therefore this prolonged detention is illegal
suu kyi has spent more than thirteen years of the past nineteen years confined to her rangoon home
i also deplore the fact that the number of political prisoners in burma has increased from one three hundred to over two one hundred since the saffron revolution of september two thousand and seven
the military junta has clearly failed to deliver on promises made to the international community in this regard
whereas the release of veteran journalist and national league for democracy nld secretary u win tin and six other leaders last month was a step in the right direction further moves must be made to free burmese political dissidents
i call on the secretary-general of the united nations to press ahead with a second visit to burma in december irrespective of the prevailing conditions in order to make an urgent personal appeal for the release of all political prisoners and the full inclusion of the national league for democracy in preparations for the twenty ten elections
finally i call on leaders at the asem summit beginning tomorrow in china on the thirteenth anniversary of suu kyi's detention to understand their responsibilities regarding ongoing oppression in one of their neighbouring countries and to take decisive action accordingly to condemn the burmese military junta for their continued suppression of political dissidents
