By: wpollock1, Posted: Jun 19 09

Regions: Myanmar

Issues: Arbitrary arrest, Armed conflict, Freedom of opinion & expression, Humanitarian

Tags: Arbitrary arrest, aung san suu kyi, burma, government censorship, political prisoner, US Campaign for Burma

Today is the 64th birthday of imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi. This will be her 13th birthday spent as the world's only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize recipient.

For nearly 20 years, Suu Kyi has served as a leader in the non-violent movement for freedom and democracy for all of Burma and remains a beacon of hope for the Burmese people and admirers the world over. She deserves to be free, and to help lead her country into a new era of peace, security, and human rights.

(Below is the promotional video from the "It Can't Wait" Campaign surrounding Suu Kyi's birthday in 2008.)

Right now, U.S. Campaign for Burma is working hard with our partners to build global support for Suu Kyi and the movement that she has come to symbolize, as she prepares to spend yet another birthday as a political prisoner. For example, this year, over 550 people in 46 countries around the world signed up to host "house arrest" events in their homes in an act of solidarity. To learn how to participate in an Arrest Yourself event, click here.

There are other ways to support human rights in Burma. Currently, the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act is up for renewal in Congress. This act has prevented the military regime from receiving hundreds of millions of dollars from U.S. consumers and businesses.

Suu Kyi, the National League for Democracy, and Burma's ethnic leaders, such as the Karen National Union, have championed these sanctions, which serve as an important instrument in their cause.

The Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act needs to be renewed every year.  Leading senators from both parties have reintroduced the act, but we need your support. To take action and contact your representatives, follow the easy instructions here.

The United States is not the only country taking action -- the European Union, Australia, Canada, and others have imposed sanctions on the military regime. Many of Burma's neighbors are also taking a stand; Singapore recently said it will not invest in Burma until there are advancements in democracy and human rights.

In a step forward, China has shifted their policy on Burma. Chinese delegates, as part of a UN group, recently called for Suu Kyi’s freedom. Furthermore, many governments are calling for a Commission of Inquiry into Burma, a move that China has not blocked in the past.

By working to renew this act in the U.S. government and creating awareness around the world for Suu Kyi’s birthday, USCB will contribute to the growing international pressure on the military regime in Burma. Next year, we hope Aung San Suu Kyi will be able to celebrate her birthday in freedom…and as the democratically elected leader of Burma.

This Guest Blog post was co-written by Michael Hack, Campaign Coordinator at United States Campaign for Burma (USCB) and Shirmila Cooray. The USCB is a U.S. based membership organization dedicated to empowering grassroots activists around the world to bring about an end to the military dictatorship in Burma. USCB works to empower Americans and Burmese dissidents-in-exile through public education, leadership development initiatives, conferences, and advocacy campaigns at local, national and international levels, with the goal of  promoting freedom, democracy, and human rights in Burma and raising awareness about the human rights violations committed by the current military regime.