FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEAHRC-STM-150-2011October17,2011 A Statement from the Asian Human Rights Commission

BURMA: National reconciliation through hostage taking

Amongthemanyanalysesofthereleaseofacoupleofhundredpoliticalprisoners inatotalofover6000detaineesletoutofBurma'sprisonslastweek,themost preciseandsuccinctcamefromafamouscomedian,Zarganar.Imprisonedfor criticisingthereliefeffortinthewakeofCycloneNargisin2008,Zarganarspoketo theBBCBurmeseServiceshortlyafterhisrelease.Askedabouttheclaimsofthe country'spresident,formergeneralTheinSein,thathisgovernmentisworking towardsnationalreconciliation,andZarganarlaughinglylikenedthisformof nationalreconciliationtoputtingmakeuponaparalyzedelderlywomanandtaking heroutonthetown.Healsosaidthatheandotherpoliticaldetaineeswerelike hostages,beingreleasedatatrickleinexchangefordealsbeingstruckwithvarious partiesathomeandabroad. Zarganariscorrectthatnationalreconciliationthroughhostagetakingisafraud. Thereasonthatheiscorrectisthatnationalreconciliationthroughhostagetaking restsimplicitlyonthenotionthatthevictim,thehostage,isexpectedtobegrateful totheperpetrator,thehostage-taker,forlettinghimgo.Itispremiseduponthe notionthatthegovernmentinBurma,asaperpetratorofcrimes,oughttobe congratulatedforactsofapparentgenerositytowardspersonswhomithas persecutedrelentlessly. Overthelastfewyears,prisonerreleasesinwhichpoliticaldetaineeshavealso featuredhavebeenaregulareventinBurma.Eachreleaseisanopportunityforthe politicalleadershiptotemporarilypaytheroleofbenefactor,andenjoysomepraise forwhateverlargesseithasmanagedtogeneratethroughthefreeingfrom detentionofpersonswhoshouldhaveneverbeendetainedinthefirstplace, personswhose"crimes"constitutedactsthatinmostothercountriesaretakenfor granted.Itisforthisreasonthatsuchreleasesofdetaineesareindicativenotofa systemoperatingaccordingtorationallaw,butoneoperatingaccordingtofeudal principles,inwhicharegalfigureearnsthegratitudeofhissubjectsforthemerciful exerciseofarbitrarypower. Butthemethodonlyworkswellwhenthosereleasedshowtherequireddeference tothepowersthathavereleasedthem.When,asinthecaseofZarganar,they continuetoshowdefianceandscorn,nationalreconciliationthroughhostagetaking is,ratherthanbeinganeffectivepoliticaldevice,exposedasafraud. Forthisreason,theauthoritiesinBurmaareafraidtoreleasemanyofthe remainingpoliticaldetaineesthere,includingtheleadershipoftheShan NationalitiesLeagueforDemocracyandthe88GenerationStudentsgroup,onboth ofwhomtheAsianHumanRightsCommissionhaspreviouslyissuedappeals, sincetodosowouldthreatenthemethod'seffectiveness.Similarly,theyhaveon thisoccasionnotreleasedmostotherpersonsonwhosebehalftheAHRChas campaignedforsomeyears,includingthefounderofHumanRightsDefendersand Promoters,UMyintAye;personsaccusedofhavinglinkswithexiledopposition groupsandmedia,includingSithuZeyaandhisfatherUZeya;NationalLeaguefor DemocracymemberAyeMinNaingandcolleagues;and,peoplefalselyaccusedof

involvementinbombingsaroundthecountry,includingHtunOoandothersinPegu, andPhyoWaiAung,whosetrialiscontinuinginRangoon. Sincethemethodofnationalreconciliationthroughhostagetakingrequiresthe existenceofapoolofhostagesthatcanbedrawnuponifandwhentheauthorities seefit,theonlywayforthismethodtobebroughttoanendisthroughtherelease ofallpersonswhoconstitutethepoolofhostages.And,sincethemethodof nationalreconciliationthroughhostagetakingisafraudulentformofreconciliation, theonlywayforthegovernmentofBurmatoinitiategenuinenationalreconciliation istodispensewithitsfraudulentcounterpart.Therefore,allpoliticaldetaineescan andmustbereleasedfromBurma'sjailsbeforegenuinenationalreconciliationcan begin.

### About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional nongovernmental organisation that monitors human rights in Asia, documents violations and advocates for justice and institutional reform to ensure the protection and promotion of these rights. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984.