Mizzima News

New Delhi – The international community, led by the governments of the United Kingdom and Canada, has slammed Burma's military government for harshly punishing more than 20 pro-democracy activists with long prison terms of up to 65 years, and called for their immediate release.

Bill Rammell, a Minister at the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in a statement on Tuesday said, "Those detained have done nothing other than exercise their right to express themselves and have at all times underlined their willingness to work with others for a better Burma."  

On Tuesday, a court in Rangoon's infamous Insein prison sentenced fourteen student activists, widely known as '88 generation students', to 65 years of imprisonment for their involvement in anti-government rallies in September 2007.

Similarly, nine other activists from Bogale in the Irrawaddy Division, five monks from Rangoon's Ngwe Kyar Yan monastery and labor rights activist Suu Suu Nwe were also sentenced to long prison terms of up to 24 years.

Rammell said the junta's harsh punishment against dissidents reveals that the ongoing political crisis in Burma can only be resolved through "a genuine and inclusive political process."

"I therefore reiterate the recent call by the Council of the European Union for the lifting of restrictions placed on political parties and the early release of those in detention, including Aung San Suu Kyi," he said.

On Monday, the European Union, in a statement, said the junta's planned election in 2010 would be illegitimate unless it first releases all political prisoners, including Burmese pro-democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

"There can be nothing approaching free elections until these steps are taken," Rammell added.

Meanwhile, Canada's Foreign Minister, Lawrence Cannon, said Canada is deeply concerned over the long prison terms given to pro-democracy activists and urged the junta to immediately release them.

"We call upon the Burmese regime to respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all the people of Burma," Cannon said in a statement on Tuesday.  

Canada also renewed its call on the Burmese military regime to implement a genuine dialogue with the democratic opposition and ethnic minority groups in order to promote a healthy democracy in the country.