FW: Myanmar Press Release

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For your use:
INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE
Last friday (dec. 18) the Israel section of Amnesty International held a
gathering in solidarity with Dr. Than Aung from the Union of Myanmar in
front of the Myanmar Embassy in Tel Aviv. The gathering was organized by
the Health Professionals Network, members of which have been writing in the
last year hundreds of letters to officials in Myanmar for the release of
Dr. Than Aung.
The physician, Dr. Than Aung, is an NLD member who was imprisoned for four
years in February 1997, after being charged with causing a person's death
by negligence. Amnesty International claims that in fact the reason for his
imprisonment was his non-violent opposition to the military government and
considers him a Prisoner of Conscience. Since his arrest no information was
obtained from official s
ources on his whereabouts or on his condition.
The gathering in front of the embassy occured at a time of tension in
Israel, while people were expecting for both the fall of the Israeli
government over the peace process with the Palestinians and for a military
attack by Irak. At the gathering were about 35 people; many of them wore
doctor's coats. Some people were chained up, whereas others were holding
big signs and distributed info to the pu
blic. There was music from the Amsterdam performance of the Burmese singer,
Bo Han.
A petition to free Dr. Than Aung with hundreds of signatures was delivered
at the embassy. The embassador, his excellency Mr. U Kyw Myant, who invited
representatives of Amnesty International to the Myanmar Embassy several
months ago, was informed about the gathering in advance. Mr. U Kyw Myant
did not appear in person in front of the assembly, but had his driver
accept the petition.
Amnesty International welcomes additional information on Dr. Than Aung,
which may be sent to:
Amnesty International
International Secretariat - Medical Office
1 Easton Street
London WC1X 8DJ
United Kingdom
e-mail: medical@xxxxxxxxxxx
fax: -44-171-9561157

OR
Amnesty International
Israel Section - Health Professionals
P.O.Box 14179
Tel Aviv 61141
Israel
e-mail: aihealth@xxxxxxxxxxx
fax: -972-3-5603391




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