Statements

Under the P.E.N. Charter which seeks to promote peace, protection of freedom of expression and defense of human rights, we, the Japan P.E.N. Club have continuously made protests to the Myanmar government through the activities of the Writers in Prison Committee concerning the suppression of free speech for many years, and we have requested an end to the restraint of Ms Aung San Suu Kyi and other political activists.

The Japan P.E.N. Club expresses its very strong objection to the Myanmar government with regard to the following: further large-scale crackdowns using violence, the murder of a Japanese journalist by a government soldier while covering the protests, and the detention by police of large numbers of people including local employees of Japanese media companies, monks and citizens during the recent orderly demonstration by peace-loving people.

We call upon the government of Myanmar to halt the violence by the military, to restore freedom of expression, which has been restricted over many years, and to end the torture and ill treatment of political detainees, and release them immediately and unconditionally.

The Japan P.E.N. Club declares its unity with the people of Myanmar who are working to democratize their country through constructive dialogue and not violence, and calls upon the International Community to take every possible means to support this movement to release people in detention, and even more importantly, to promote democracy based on freedom of expression in Myanmar.

Tokyo, October 9th, 2007