In a departure from its usual neutrality, the International Committee of the Red Cross today issued a statement condemning Myanmar's military State Peace and Development Council for human rights abuses. The Geneva , Switzerland-based International Committee of the Red Cross, or ICRC, said the Myanmar junta is systematically causing thousands of people to suffer, especially along the border with Thailand, where government soldiers raid villages, destroy food supplies, force people from their homes and commit acts of violence, including murder and child abuse. Detainees, the ICRC said, were being forced to work on government projects or act as porters for the military. In Beijing yesterday, U.S. State Department officials held talks with representatives of Myanmar's military regime, with the U.S. issuing a "very pointed and very direct" demand that the junta release detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi . In March this year, the ICRC closed its offices in Yangon , Myanmar's former capital, after the organization's staff were prevented from visiting prisons or conducting independent field operations in the border areas. The condemnation of Myanmar by the ICRC is the strongest since it denounced the 1994 Rwandan Genocide . One U.S. official, speaking to Agence France-Presse (AFP) on condition of anonymity, said the discussions were "very pointed and very direct." In Washington , U.S. State Department spokesman Tom Casey said the U.S. delegation demanded the release of Suu Kyi and other political detainees, but received no positive response from the Myanmar officials. "I don't think we saw anything coming out of them that will indicate, unfortunately, that they have changed their basic opinions," Casey was quoted as saying by AFP. "We certainly did not hear that they were planning on releasing Aung San Suu Kyi or other political prisoners," he continued. Long-standing U.S. diplomatic policy is to not meet with Myanmar leaders in their own country unless the U.S. officials are first allowed to visit Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD), which won elections in 1990. The military, which has ruled Myanmar since 1962, never honored the results and has kept Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, under house arrest for most of the time since then. Myanmar is also known as Burma, its former name under the British Empire . The military officially renamed the country Myanmar in 1989, but many countries and organizations, mostly those that refuse to recognize the military government, still refer to it as Burma. Phyu Phyu Thin However Phyu Phyu Thin , an AIDS campaigner who was arrested on May 21 for organizing a prayer campaign for the release of Suu Kyi was not among those freed. While it isn't known where Phyu Phyu Thin is being held, the NLD says she has started a hunger strike . “The NLD calls for the immediate release of Phyu Phyu Thin, who should receive health care from her family,” NLD spokesman Myint Thein was quoted as saying by The Irrawaddy . “We [the NLD], together with her family, are seriously concerned about her health.” An outspoken critic, who has said the junta is understating the number of HIV and AIDS cases in Myanmar, Phyu Phyu Thin runs a small clinic that provides care and counseling to HIV/AIDS patients. The U.S. State Department issued a statement on Wednesday, calling for Phyu Phyu Thin's release. "The United States calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Phyu Phyu Thin [and] others recently detained while praying at pagodas," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in a statement. Earlier, another NLD activist, Su Su Nway , was released for health reasons. The release of the 51 activists coincided with a visit by United Nations envoy Radhika Coomaraswamy , special representative for children and armed conflict. She met acting prime minister Lieutenant-General Thein Sein on Wednesday morning in the new administrative capital, Naypyidaw . However, it wasn't known if the U.N. envoy had raised the issue of the detained activists.
In a departure from its usual neutrality, the today issued a statement condemning Myanmar's military for human rights abuses. The , Switzerland-based International Committee of the Red Cross, or ICRC, said the Myanmar junta is systematically causing thousands of people to suffer, especially along the border with Thailand, where government soldiers raid villages, destroy food supplies, force people from their homes and commit acts of violence, including murder and child abuse. Detainees, the ICRC said, were being forced to work on government projects or act as porters for the military. In yesterday, officials held talks with representatives of Myanmar's military regime, with the U.S. issuing a "very pointed and very direct" demand that the release detained democracy leader . In March this year, the ICRC closed its offices in , Myanmar's former capital, after the organization's staff were prevented from visiting prisons or conducting independent field operations in the border areas. The condemnation of Myanmar by the ICRC is the strongest since it denounced the 1994 . One U.S. official, speaking to (AFP) on condition of anonymity, said the discussions were "very pointed and very direct." In , U.S. State Department spokesman said the U.S. delegation demanded the release of Suu Kyi and other political detainees, but received no positive response from the Myanmar officials. "I don't think we saw anything coming out of them that will indicate, unfortunately, that they have changed their basic opinions," Casey was quoted as saying by AFP. "We certainly did not hear that they were planning on releasing Aung San Suu Kyi or other political prisoners," he continued. Long-standing U.S. diplomatic policy is to not meet with Myanmar leaders in their own country unless the U.S. officials are first allowed to visit Suu Kyi, leader of the (NLD), which won elections in 1990. The military, which has ruled Myanmar since 1962, never honored the results and has kept Suu Kyi, a laureate, under house arrest for most of the time since then. Myanmar is also known as Burma, its former name under the . The military officially renamed the country Myanmar in 1989, but many countries and organizations, mostly those that refuse to recognize the military government, still refer to it as Burma. Phyu Phyu Thin However , an AIDS campaigner who was arrested on May 21 for organizing a prayer campaign for the release of Suu Kyi was not among those freed. While it isn't known where Phyu Phyu Thin is being held, the NLD says she has started a . “The NLD calls for the immediate release of Phyu Phyu Thin, who should receive health care from her family,” NLD spokesman Myint Thein was quoted as saying by . “We [the NLD], together with her family, are seriously concerned about her health.” An outspoken critic, who has said the junta is understating the number of and cases in Myanmar, Phyu Phyu Thin runs a small clinic that provides care and counseling to HIV/AIDS patients. The U.S. State Department issued a statement on Wednesday, calling for Phyu Phyu Thin's release. "The United States calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Phyu Phyu Thin [and] others recently detained while praying at pagodas," State Department spokesman said in a statement. Earlier, another NLD activist, , was released for health reasons. The release of the 51 activists coincided with a visit by United Nations envoy , special representative for children and armed conflict. She met acting prime minister Lieutenant-General on Wednesday morning in the new administrative capital, . However, it wasn't known if the U.N. envoy had raised the issue of the detained activists.
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International Committee of the Red Cross
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State Peace and Development Council
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Geneva
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Beijing yesterday, U.S. State Department
yesterday,
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junta
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Aung San Suu Kyi
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Yangon
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Rwandan Genocide
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Agence France-Presse
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Washington
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Tom Casey
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National League for Democracy
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Nobel Peace Prize
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British Empire
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Phyu Phyu Thin
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hunger strike
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The Irrawaddy
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HIV and AIDS
and
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Sean McCormack
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Su Su Nway
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Radhika Coomaraswamy
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Thein Sein
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Naypyidaw