Kofi Annan Urges Burma To Free All Political Prisoners
Yvonne Lee - All Headline News Staff Reporter New York, NY (AHN) - UN Secretary General Kofi Annan is urging Burma to free all political activists, following the early release of labor activist Su Su Nway on Tuesday. BBC News reports Mr. Annan's remarks support comments by the UN envoy to Burma, who said the release of Su Su Nway was not enough. Sway, who is a member of the opposition National League for Democracy, was imprisoned after reporting cases of forced labor to the UN's International Labor Organization. Sway's work led to the conviction of local officials over the practice. She was arrested in Oct. 2005 for swearing at and threatening officials. She was imprisoned for 18 months. Sway tells The Associated Press, "I will continue to stand for the truth and fight for the elimination of forced labor in the country." After her early release, the UN human rights envoy to Burma, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, said Burma's military government should free all prisoners of conscience. He says, "This will be critical in facilitating national reconciliation and democratic transition, to which the Myanmar leadership has committed itself."
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