Japanese Trade Union Confederation (RENGO)

500 People Got Together in an Urgent Action Taken in Tokyo to Call for Immediate Release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Other Political Prisoners in Burma

GS Koga speaking at the rally: “RENGO will strengthen its approach to the Japanese government”

Demonstration on the streets from Mikawadai Park (Roppongi) to Hibiya Park, Tokyo

RENGO union members in demonstration

Mr. Yoshinori Suematsu, Member of the House of Representatives, the Democratic Party of Japan, addressing to the rally representing “Diet Members’ League for Support of Democratization of Myanmar”

On May 27, RENGO together with Japan Branch of Burmese National League for Democracy(NLD) and other groups which support democratization of Burma organized an urgent rally and took place a demonstration in the streets in Tokyo to call for immediate release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners in Burma. In a very tense situation that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi may be sentenced to imprisonment of five years in a few days, about 500 people got together in the rally and demonstration. And from RENGO member organizations about 60 people participated in them.

In the rally RENGO General Secretary Koga expressed his strong protest against Burmese military government speaking that “the action taken by the military regime this time is an action which shows by itself that the military regime will reject a national reconciliation with National League for Democracy and ethnic minority groups. It is an action which is completely unforgivable”. Based on that, General Secretary Koga emphasized that “for the first step for the democratization of Burma, it is essential to revise a new Constitution”. He also stressed that “the Japanese government should clearly demand the military regime in Burma that the general election announced to be held in 2010 should not be implemented if a new Constitution failed to be agreed with democratization forces and ethnic minority groups”. He expressed RENGO’s determination to strengthen its approach to the Japanese government. .

After the rally, the participants demonstrated in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan distributing rally appeal which appealed for “Immediate Release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other political Prisoners in Burma!”, “Respect for the Result of the General Election of 1990!” and “Early Implementation of a New Constitution!”.

The military regime in Burma indicted democratization movement leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for violating State Defense Law. At present, the trial is in process in a special tribunal and there is a high possibility that she will be sentenced to five years’ imprisonment within this week..

In such a very tense situation, groups of Burmese residents in Japan including Japan Branch of the National League for Democracy (NLD) and other groups which support democratization of Burma got together in an urgently organized rally today. The sudden indictment brought in by the military regime just at the time when her house arrest is going to expire soon is not only a matter of Burmese domestic law but it is also a serious international matter. The international society is called for acting in concert for an early solution of the situation of this time. .

We strongly appeal for immediate release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners including those of ethnic minority groups. This is the first step for realizing democratization in Burma. At the same time, the role of the Japanese government to be played in the international society is extremely big..

We will continue to work together for an early realization of democratization of Burma, demanding to the military regime in Burma and the Japanese government as follows; .

1. The military regime in Burma should immediately release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners including those of ethnic minority groups.
2. The military regime in Burma should respect the result of the General Election of 1990.
3. The military regime in Burma should promote talks including those on 2008 Constitution with democratization forces and ethnic minority groups and should work out a national reconciliation.
4. The Japanese government, in close cooperation with the Chinese Government and the governments of ASEAN countries, should dispatch, as the European Union did, a special envoy for realizing democratization of Burma.
5. The Japanese government should demand to the military regime of Burma a clarification of the total picture of the murder of the Japanese journalist Mr. Kenji NAGAI and a punishment of those who were concerned with the murder.

May 27, 2009.
“An Urgent Action Taken to Call for Immediate Release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Other Political Prisoners in Burma”Japan Branch of Burmese National League for Democracy (NLD)Japanese Trade Union Confederation (RENGO)Forum of Burmese Residents in JapanAmnesty International JapanInternational Cooperation Network of BuddhistsHuman Rights Now!Diet Members’ League for Support of Democratization of Myanmar.