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Statement for Nelson Mandela International Day

Posted on July 18, 2018  •  Posted in Slide show, Statements

 

July 18, 2018

Nelson Mandela International Day
On today’s celebration of Nelson Mandela International Day, AAPP stands in solidarity with political prisoners across the world. AAPP also urges the Burmese government to adopt the UN Standard Minimum Rules (SMRs), also known as the Nelson Mandela Rules.
The SMRs are comprehensive guidelines for the treatment of prisoners and their implementation would establish a framework to ensure they enjoy the full protection of their human rights.
The SMRs set standards related to:
• respect for prisoners’ inherent dignity,
• protection of vulnerable groups,
• access to legal representation
• mechanisms for independent inspection of prisons.
Adherence to these standards is sorely lacking within Burma’s prison system. Conditions inside prisons remain dire, overcrowded and unfit for habitation. The situation is so bad that AAPP considers current levels of overcrowding as a form of torture.
On this day, as we remember not just Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela but all political prisoners, it is important not to just commemorate those who sacrificed so much in the past in the fight for democracy, but to continue to fight for improvements in living conditions for those detained today. Society must not forget those detained behind bars for exercising their democratic rights.
Human rights are not suspended upon incarceration. The Burmese government must protect the human rights of all its citizens, including those in prison.
In Solidarity

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Assistance Association for Political Prisoners

Tate Naing Secretary +95(0)9428 023828

Bo Kyi Joint Secretary +95(0) 942530 8840

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma), otherwise known as AAPP, is a human rights organization based in Mae Sot, Thailand and Rangoon, Burma. AAPP advocates for the release of all remaining political prisoners in Burma and for the improvement of their quality of life during and after incarceration. AAPP has developed rehabilitation and assistance programs for those political activists who have been released while continuing to document the ongoing imprisonment of political activists in Burma.

As long as political prisoners exist inside Burma, Burma will not be free. They represent the struggle for democracy, human rights, equality and freedom for the people of Burma. This makes the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners an integral part of Burma’s drive for national reconciliation.

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