Japanese Trade Union Confederation (RENGO)

KOGA Speaks!
On a Sentence of “Guilty” on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

1. A special court in Burma handed down a sentence of “guilty” of three years imprisonment on Burmese prodemocracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi who had been prosecuted for violation of a state security law. The military regime immediately ordered, at the direction of the head of the junta Than Shwe, to commute the sentence to 18 months’ house arrest.
   
   RENGO cannot but feeling a vehement anger at the nontransparent and dubious trial and its result. RENGO cannot accept them by any means.
   
   
2. In the court, opening of the deliberation to the public was substantially restricted and the number of witnesses for the defense was reduced. It is doubtful whether substantial deliberations were conducted. Moreover, the trial itself was conducted in a situation which lacked impartiality and the indictment itself was unjust. We cannot but thinking that the true aim of the conviction was to get any cause for further detention of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi whose term of house arrest will run out by May this year so as to completely keep her off the forthcoming national “elections”, due to be held in 2010. It is clear that the military regime is intending to hold the elections, while confining prodemocracy forces, to maintain its grip over the country.
   
   
3. The result has closed a way to a national reconciliation between the military regime and the prodemocracy forces including the National League for Democracy (NLD) and minority groups. I has also disappointed the hope of the international society which has demanded democratic elections and immediate release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners.
   
   A deep doubt has also arisen about the military cooperation between the Burmese military regime and North Korea for the development of nuclear weapons, which is casting a dark shadow on the security and peace of whole Asia.
   
   
4. RENGO, worrying over the grave situation, will demand the Japanese government to take such measures 1) that the government should delivers its resolute opposition against the military regime and demand immediate release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and many other political prisoners and 2) that the government should support to take up the Burmese issue as a formal agenda of the discussion in the United Nations Security Council, and also make efforts for reaching an agreement on the measures for the embargo of military weapons.
   
   RENGO will continue to promote its campaign vigorously together with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the Federation of Trade Unions of Burma (FTUB) and in cooperation with Burma Office in Japan, Burmese Residents Groups in Japan, Diet Members’ Alliance, NGOs and other groups, so that immediate release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners and democratization of Burma can be realized.