Than Shwe
Prime Minister and
Chairman – State Law & Order Development Council
Office of the Chairman
Signal Pagoda Road
Yangon
Union of Myanmar
Fax: (011.95.1) 282-0287
Your Excellency:
On this day, World Press Freedom Day, there are, to the best of our knowledge, 193 journalists imprisoned in the jails of 29 countries, most of them solely for having done their jobs. The Union of Burma is one of the 29, and we are informed that you are holding 15 journalists in prison — a number that makes your nation among the world@quot;s largest jailer of journalists.
The 15 journalists reported to be jailed in Burma include : Aung Myint, Kyaw Sein Oo, Aung Htun, Tha Bann, Aung Pwint, Ko Sein Ohn, Thaung Tun, Khin Maung Win, Maung Maung Lay Ngwe, Ohn Kyaing, Thein Tan, Sein Hla Oo, Win Tin, Zaw Thet Htway and Monywa Aung Shin.
You are probably aware that Burma has been designated by the respected Freedom House watchdog organization as one of the 49 countries in the world that are rated ?Not Free? in terms of political rights and civil liberties. This includes a rating of your country@quot;s media as ?Not Free,? determined by the degree to which a country permits an open flow of information.
As a member of the United Nations, you must certainly be familiar with the UN@quot;s Declaration of Human Rights, article 19 of which states: ?Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.? U.N. members recognize that the right of free expression is sometimes inconvenient and troublesome. Yet, it is crucial to uphold, for practical reasons as well as principled ones. A nation that stifles freedom of thought and expression forfeits the good opinion of the world and isolates itself. This may prompt political or economic sanctions, with loss of diplomatic influence and domestic prosperity.
The Overseas Press Club of America, an independent organization that has defended press freedom around the world for more than 65 years, urges you to re-think your policy, to strengthen your country by welcoming freedom of ideas and opinions, and to release the 41 journalists held in prison.
We will appreciate learning of your positive actions and your reply to this letter of appeal. Thank you.
Respectfully yours,
Kevin McDermott
Norman A. Schorr
Co-chairmen, Freedom of the Press Committee