White House Urges UN to Condemn Burma

By LALIT K JHA

NEW YORK — A White House spokesperson on Monday said that the international community and the United Nations should not remain silent to oppressive, anti-democratic measures of the Burmese junta.

Burma's military government has sentenced at least 86 activists since November 7, including monks and women, in special courts held in Insein Prison in Rangoon. The sentences have ranged from two to 65 years in prison.

"Brave Burmese patriots such as Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi, and Htay Kywe were among those who have been sentenced to 65 years imprisonment for their peaceful participation in the August 2007 protests, in which Burmese citizens, including monks and activists, called on the regime to address the basic needs of the Burmese people," said White House spokesperson Dana Perino in the statement.

"The international community and the United Nations Security Council must not remain silent as the regime demonstrates yet again its contempt for universal freedoms and its disdain for the international community's calls to release all political prisoners.

"We further deplore the complete lack of due process, as these men and women have been arrested, detained, charged and tried behind closed doors without the benefit of counsel," the statement said. "The United States strongly condemns the regime's persistent repression of its people for exercising basic freedoms enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."

So far, there has been no word from the UN Security Council or the General Assembly on the latest act of the military junta to quell the pro-democracy movement in Burma by sentencing pro-democracy activists to harsh prison terms, in an effort to quell the opposition movement.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, however, personally issued a statement condemning the harsh sentences handed to several dozen activists in the past few weeks.

A spokesperson said the secretary-general would continue to pursue his good offices role with the objective of restoration of democracy and protection of human rights in Burma.