Saturday, June 19, 2010

Burma Action Reception to mark 65th Birthday of Aung San Suu Kyi

On the day Aung San Suu Kyi, the Leader of Burma’s National League for Democracy, celebrates her 65th birthday, Dublin’s Lord Mayor, Councillor Emer Costello has called on the Military Junta in Burma, to immediately release Aung San Suu Kyi, Freeman of the City of Dublin, Nobel Peace Laureate, from house arrest.

The Lord Mayor, Councillor Emer Costello, met with representatives from Burma Action Ireland at the Mansion House this morning, where she presented Burma Action with a Mayoral Scroll in support of Aung San Suu Kyi and the people of Burma.

According to the Lord Mayor, “Aung San Suu Kyi is a global icon of heroic and peaceful resistance in the face of military repression, and she takes her rightful place in history amongst other great civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King and Mahatma Ghandi who I know inspired her. As Lord Mayor of Dublin, I am calling on the Military Junta in Burma to immediately release Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest. ”

I, like, many people throughout the world was outraged when I learned of the outcome of the Kafkaesque showtrial in Burma last year, where she was sentenced to three years hard labour which was subsequently commuted to eighteen months house arrest for a non-existent crime.

Last year, one of my first actions as Lord Mayor was to open a Book of Solidarity as Dublin’s response to Aung San Suu Kyi own powerful plea to people around the world to join the struggle for freedom in Burma when she said ‘Please use your freedom to promote ours’.

Aung San Suu Kyi was conferred with the Freedom of Dublin City on March 18th 2000, by former Lord Mayor, Councillor Mary Freehill. She has yet to sign the Roll of Freemen of the City, where a space has been left for her to sign.

Ends
For further information contact Emer Costello 086 3831805
Photo available at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lordmayor

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