Burma’s military rulers have been trying to stifle the activities of a whole range of people: human rights defenders, independent journalists, members of the Buddhist clergy, humanitarian activists, and members of the political opposition ahead of scheduled elections in Burma in 2010. Many activists are held in isolated prisons, with terrible health and sanitation conditions, far from family and subject to routine ill-treatment.

Human Rights Watch is launching the campaign 2100 by 2010, the purpose of which is to secure the release of all 2,100 political prisoners in Burma.

While the UN and foreign governments such as the US, Australia, Canada, EU Member states, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, and India, have repeatedly called on Burma’s rulers to free all political prisoners, so far that has been met with resistance, and only a handful of political prisoners have been released. In the past five years, 38,000 prisoners have been released, but only 461 of them, or 1.2 percent, were political activists. Release of political prisoners should be a core component of all bilateral dialogues, trade, and energy deals for any states dealing with the Burmese government.

Please urge Asian leaders to use their influence to secure the release of political prisoners in Burma.