The Burmese democracy advocate and LI cooperating partner, the National League for Democracy — Liberated Areas (NLD-LA), called for the release of Burma's political prisoners. Moe Zaw Oo, International Secretary of NLD-LA, stated that "the essence of Union Day in Burma is solidarity among all ethnic nationalities in [the nation]. But even on the 62nd anniversary of Union Day, we cannot fulfill this.
Leaders of ethnic nationality groups are still imprisoned, serving very long sentences. The best way for the military junta to show their good-will to commemorate Union Day is to release all political prisoners, including ethnic leaders." Despite petitions from home and abroad, the Burmese military junta extended the house arrest of Mr Tin Oo, deputy leader of NLD last Friday. There are currently over 2100 political prisoners in Burma, including democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi (NLD-LA), LI Prize for Freedom Laureate in 1995, and 17 parliamentarians who were elected in 1990 but not acknowledged by the junta.
