13 Nobel Peace Prize Winners
seek to visit
Aung San Suu Kyi of
Burma
Update: 13 Peace Laureates seek to visit Suu Kyi
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(10 January 2007) On January 5, 2007, the day after Burmese Independence Day, 13 Nobel Peace Laureates worldwide – from Seoul to Washington- sought visas to visit sister Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the only imprisoned Nobel Peace Laureate. This action was a call to the UN Security Council to give unanimous support to a US draft resolution condemning political repression in
Burma.After joining a demonstration outside the Burmese Embassy in
Washington, DC, Dr. Shirin Ebadi and Professor Jody Williams were barred from submitting their applications. An Embassy worker then told the laureates that they were trespassing and asked them to leave. After talking with supporters across the street, Dr. Ebadi and Professor Williams peacefully left the property. “The people of
Burma deserve freedom,” stated Williams, “It will not happen, though, unless we press the governments of the world to take action.”Former President Kim Dae-jung’s application was immediately rejected by the Embassy in
Seoul. Embassy representatives said his attempt to visit Suu Kyi was interpreted as an intervention in the domestic affairs of another country.
(5 January 2007 -
Washington, DC) Laureates worldwide – from Seoul to
Washington- will seek visas today to visit sister Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the only imprisoned Nobel Peace Laureate. The day after Burmese Independence Day, thirteen Peace Prize Laureates will submit visa applications in 9 countries in a collective effort to visit Suu Kyi.“We hope to visit our sister, who today is spending her 4088th day in detention,” said Shirin Ebadi. “We want to personally tell her that the world has not forgotten her and the people of Burma, and we want to tell her that we support her movement’s call for a UN Security Council resolution on
Burma.”“We welcome the recent proposal of a Security Council resolution on
Burma, and urge all members to support it immediately,” said Jody Williams, 1997 Laureate and one of the founders of the Nobel Women’s Initiative (NWI), who initiated today’s action. “As the elected leader of the Burmese people, we have to ensure Suu Kyi’s voice reaches beyond the walls that confine her. When I visited her in 2003 she asked that we use our liberty to promote hers and that’s what we’re trying to do,” Williams added.
Suu Kyi, one of only twelve women to ever win the Nobel Peace Prize, was awarded the Prize in 1991 in recognition of her work in the non-violent struggle for democracy in
Burma. She has spent most of the last sixteen years in detention. Her political party, the National League for Democracy, won the 1990 general election in a landslide victory. The military junta refused to recognize the election results and placed Suu Kyi, along with other pro-democracy activists, under house arrest. Since 1996, the Burmese Army has destroyed over 3,000 villages in the eastern part of the country and forcibly recruited an estimated 70,000 children as soldiers.
In December 2006 a draft resolution on Burma was circulated in the Security Council, calling on the Burmese military dictatorship to end attacks against civilians and immediately release Suu Kyi and more than 1,100 other political prisoners in
Burma. The resolution also calls on the military junta to “desist immediately from the use of systematic rape of women and girls as an instrument of armed conflict.” The junta is known to use systematic rape as a weapon of war and force women and girls into sexual slavery and other forms of forced labor.
The following Laureates or representatives of Laureate organizations will apply for visas to visit Suu Kyi in nine countries today:
Wangari Maathai (Kenya, 2005) will apply in South AfricaShirin Ebadi (Iran, 2003) will apply in the US*President Kim Dae-jung (South Korea, 2000) will apply in South KoreaJody Williams (US, 1997) will apply in the US*
The British Pugwash Group, on behalf of Joseph Rotblat and Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs (UK, 1995), represented by Sally Milne who will apply in the UK
Rigoberta Menchu Tum (Guatemala, 1992) will apply in the US
International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (US, 1985), represented by Ron McCoy who will apply in Malaysia, Mary-Wynne Ashford who will apply in Canada, Gunnar Westberg who will apply in Switzerland and Ime John who will apply in Germany
Lech Walesa (Poland, 1983) will apply in Germany
Adolfo Perez Esquivel (Argentina, 1980) will apply in the US
Betty Williams (UK, 1976) will apply in the UK
Mairead Corrigan Maguire (UK, 1976) will apply in the UK
On behalf of Albert Schweitzer (France, 1952) David Ives will apply in the US
International Peace Bureau (Switzerland, 1910), represented by Arielle Denis who will apply in France
The following Laureates are unable to apply for visas today but have expressed support for this action:
His Holiness the Dalai Lama (Tibet, 1989), Elie Wiesel (US, 1986), Archbishop Desmond Tutu (South Africa, 1984) and American Friends Service Committee (US, 1947).
For additional information contact media@nobelwomensinitiative.org.###
*Shirin Ebadi and Jody Williams Lead Demonstration at Burma Embassy in Washington DC, Call for UN Security Council Action* (5 January 2007 – Washington DC) Before submitting their visa applications to visit Suu Kyi, Nobel Laureates Shirin Ebadi and Jody Williams will join activists at a demonstration in front of the embassy of Burma’s military regime in Washington DC. The two Laureates will call for a UN Security Council Resolution on Burma and demand the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, student leader Min Ko Naing, and all political prisoners in Burma.The demonstration will take place at 10:30 am Friday, January 5th at 2300 S St, NW.]
For more information contact Jeremy Woodrum: +1 202.234.8022.
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