Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-04-11-Speech-4-127"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2002-04-11"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Burma/Myanmar2
dcterms:Language	"en"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20020411.7.4-127"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2002-04-11-Speech-4-1282
lpv:speaker	lp:Geoffrey Van Orden2
lpv:spoken text	"Mr President, once again we are reminded of the desperate tragedy that continues to afflict the people of Burma. Much attention has been paid to the fact that talks have been going on between the military regime and Aung San Suu Kyi since October 2000. However, in reality, little in the way of substantive political progress has been made. The military regime continues to deprive the National League for Democracy of its election victory of 1990, keeping its leader and 20 of its MPs under arrest. Moreover, it continues to violate in a most appalling way the basic human rights of its citizens. While it is perhaps invidious to focus on any one individual, as so many suffer, I want to draw particular attention today to the case of 74-year-old Dr Salai Tun Than, retired rector of the Yezin University in Upper Burma, who is currently being held in the infamous Insein Prison. Dr Than, who is not directly affiliated to any political movement, has had a long and distinguished career of public service, with the founding of the Myanmar Integrated Rural Development Association among his many accomplishments. In any civilised country he would be held up as a pillar of the community. Instead, on 29 November last year, he was arrested for handing out a petition calling for a return to civilian rule. In February of this year he was sentenced to seven years in prison. Dr Than has had no access to visitors since his arrest, save for the Red Cross, who have provided him with medicine for a chronic eye condition. He is just one of more than 1,300 political prisoners languishing in Burmese jails, most of them guilty of nothing more than having the courage to stand up for their legitimate political freedoms. I call upon the Burmese authorities to release Dr Salai Tun Than immediately. It is now time for us to send a clear message to the military regime in Burma as a matter of urgency: it must heed calls for a return to democracy and political freedom. Only then can it hope to qualify for much-needed international assistance that will enable this desperate country to halt its ruinous economic decline."@en1
lpv:spokenAs	substitute; Delegation to the EU-Hungary Joint Parliamentary Committee (2002-03-13--2004-04-30)3 member; EPP-ED (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 vice-chair; Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy (2002-01-22--2004-07-19)3 substitute; Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 unknown; Conservative and Unionist Party (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 member; Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3
lpv:unclassifiedMetadata	"Van Orden (PPE-DE )."1

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