CLOSED: Burma: Free Aung San Suu Kyi

This action is now closed. Thank you to all those who have taken this action.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been released on 13 November 2010. Read Amnesty's reaction to her release

Aung San Suu Kyi has been found guilty in her trial for “violating the conditions of her house arrest”. She has been sentenced to another 18 months of house arrest, keeping her locked away until after Burma’s next general election. She has already spent 14 of the past 20 years in detention, but is jusy one of around 2,200 political prisoners currently locked away in Burma.

Until she is released unconditionally, there can be no genuine improvement in the human rights situation in Burma. Through her courage and commitment to non-violent protest, she has become a symbol of hope and inspiration in her own country and around the world.

Background

Aung San Suu Kyi is the leader and one of the founders of Burma’s main opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD). In 1990 her party won the Burmese election by an overwhelming majority. But the ruling junta declared the results null and void and placed Suu Kyi under house arrest.

Suu Kyi may be the best known of Burma’s prisoners of conscience, but she is far from the only one. Amnesty International estimates there are at least 2,200 political prisoners including numerous prisoners of conscience being held in Burma.

Today Aung San Suu Kyi is not allowed any visitors. Her phone line is cut and her post intercepted. She is separated from her children. She was not even allowed to see her husband before his death from cancer in 1999. And yet through her courage and commitment to non-violent protest, she has become a symbol of hope and inspiration in her own country and around the world.

• Please visit www.64forSuu.org which is supported by Amnesty International
• Stand up to the Junta - Take action now for human rights in Burma

This action is now closed. Thank you to all those who have taken this action.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been released on 13 November 2010. Read Amnesty's reaction to her release

Aung San Suu Kyi has been found guilty in her trial for “violating the conditions of her house arrest”. She has been sentenced to another 18 months of house arrest, keeping her locked away until after Burma’s next general election. She has already spent 14 of the past 20 years in detention, but is jusy one of around 2,200 political prisoners currently locked away in Burma.

Until she is released unconditionally, there can be no genuine improvement in the human rights situation in Burma. Through her courage and commitment to non-violent protest, she has become a symbol of hope and inspiration in her own country and around the world.

Follow up

Aung San Suu Kyis release is great news but there are still 2,200 political prisoners, including prisoners of conscience, currently being held in deplorable conditions for simply exercising their right to peaceful protest. Find out more