1. Recently, the president of East Timor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jose Ramos-Harto claimed that, if the SPDC does not immediately release Daw Aung San Su Kyi, he will urge the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate and prosecute Sen. Gen. Than Shwe and other responsible leaders of the SPDC for the crimes they have committed over the years. The Burma Lawyers’ Council welcomes and fully supports Mr. Ramos-Harto’s statement.

2. The ICC may have jurisdiction to investigate and/or prosecute heinous crimes which have been committed and are being committed if a given state’s judicial system is unable or
unwilling to investigate and take legal action to ensure justice. Daw Aung San Su Kyi is
being detained under the State Protection Law of 1975. The government is permitted to
detain her for five years under that law. Contrary to law, they have already held her in
detention for almost six years. Despite that she is being unlawfully detained Burma's
judiciary did not provide any protection. According to Article 9 of that Law, restrictions
may be laid down by the Central Board only, not the judiciary. However, judiciary has
admitted the complaint of the government to extend her detention by accusing her of
violating the conditions of her original detention under the State Protection Law of 1975.
This is a blatant disregard of the Burma's judiciary for the rule of law. It is evident that
Burma's judicial system is unable or unwilling to ensure justice.

• Burma Lawers' Council
• Human Rights Watch Asia
• Karen Human Rights Group
• Swedish Burma Committee

• The Burma Campaign ( UK )
• Norwegian Burma Committee
• Burma Watch International
• Free Burma Political Prisoner