Former World Leaders Rally for Burma's Political Prisoners, Call for UN Action

In recent weeks, the Burmese military has sentenced over 200 students and labor activists, Cyclone Nargis relief workers, monks—and even their lawyers—to draconian prison terms. The venerable U Gambira, a leading monk of last year’s popular protests, was sentenced to 68 years.

The Soros foundations network partnered with grantees and the Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights and Freedom to garner presidential signatures calling for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners currently being held by Burma’s junta. Over 100 former presidents and prime ministers representing more than 50 countries wrote to the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon: “If the Burmese junta continues to defy the United Nations by refusing to make these releases by the end of the year, we urge you to encourage the Security Council to take further concrete action to implement its call for the release of all political prisoners."