CZECH PUBLICLY CONDEMN BURMESE SENTENCE AGAINST

UNCLAS PRAGUE 000467 SIPDIS EAP/MLS FOR LSCHEIBE, AND EUR/CE FOR JBERGEMANN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM BM EZ EUN SUBJECT: CZECH PUBLICLY CONDEMN BURMESE SENTENCE AGAINST AUNG SAN SUU KYI REF: STATE 83598 ¶1. (U) On August 11, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout called on the Burmese regime to immediately release Aung San Suu Kyi. Calling the verdict "scandalous" and typical of "the political cynicism of one of the toughest totalitarian regimes in the world", former Czech president Vaclav Havel also condemned the 18-month house arrest a Burmese court imposed on Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The EU also released a statement indicating the EU will intensify cooperation with its allies in the international community, especially in Asia, in order to achieve the unconditional release of Aung San Suu Kyi. In addition, the Czech NGO People in Need (PIN) stated the verdict was unjust and the trial manipulated. PIN called on the U.N. Security Council to immediately adopt stricter restrictive measures towards the Burmese junta, including a global arms embargo on Burma and the establishment of a commission to investigate the junta's crimes against humanity. Below follows the official statement of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs dated August 11, 2009. ¶2. (U) Begin "Statement by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic concerning the verdict passed over Daw Aung San Suu Kyi": I consider it unacceptable that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has been sentenced to 18 months of house arrest. The Burmese junta repeatedly has not listened to the appeals of the United Nations, the European Union and the member countries of ASEAN to withdraw the stage-managed court trial with Da Aung San Suu Kyi. This leading representative of the Burmese opposition has been and must be a key person of a process, which should lead to the establishment of democracy in the country. Today's decision of the Burmese court only confirms a policy that we cannot share. I consider as empty any attempts to defend the verdict or try to interpret it in a positive way. In this connection, I again urge immediate and unconditional release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners, abolition of all restrictions imposed on political parties and initiation of an all-round dialogue between the government and the democratic forces, including ethnic groups. End Text. Thompson-Jones