Mizzima News - 'Free Daw Suu Kyi' campaign spreads

Mizzima News - 'Free Daw Suu Kyi' campaign spreads
by Phanida
Tuesday, 17 February 2009 23:24

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Pegu Division members of the 'National League for Democracy' (NLD), began their 'Free Daw Aung San Suu Kyi' signature campaign for their leader from the 14th of this month.

The youth wing of the NLD party collected signatures from the people in eastern Pegu Division, Daik Oo, Kawa, Thanatpin, Waw and Thayawadi in western Pegu Division.

"Our youth leaders collected signatures from the common people. The people are interested in this campaign. But, some people did not dare to give their signatures out of fear and they were also unaware that they could participate in such campaigns at their own free will as their right," Pegu Division NLD Organizing Committee member Daw Khin Nyunt Mu told Mizzima.

However, people from all walks of life including workers, cycle rickshaw pullers, doctors and lawyers added their signatures in this campaign.

She said that this was a public awareness campaign among the people on political prisoners, who are languishing in jails for their political conscience.

Similarly, the NLD party members held prayer meetings this morning in Pegu and Thedaw village, Meiktila Township in Mandalay Division, for the freedom of all political prisoners including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

"They offered floral and oil lamps at the southeast corner of Shwemawdaw pagoda platform in Pegu and said prayers at 6 o'clock this morning. Then we offered alms to 30 invited monks at 8 a.m," she said.

Similar alms food offering ceremonies were held in Meiktila, they offered alms to 130 monks, Meiktila Township NLD Secretary Daw Myint Myint Aye said.

Moreover, the people from Meiktila sent a letter signed by them to Snr. Gen. Than Shwe by post yesterday asking him to provide 24 hours a day uninterrupted power and water supply in Meiktila.

"We sent a letter signed by over 500 people to Naypyitaw (new jungle capital) by post demanding full supply of water and electricity in Meiktila. This movement can be joined by all those who signed in this petition letter boldly. We could collect 513 signatures for this letter," she said.

The letter says, in Meiktila, electricity is supplied by 6 hourly load shedding to 13 wards in Meiktila city by dividing the whole city to A, B & C. But the power supply is never available even for this 6 hourly period and also the people rely on tube wells in the city, though the big Meiktiala reservoir is seen in the city.

This letter was copied by copier machines and these copies were sent to local authorities of the District Peace and Development Council (PDC), Township PDC, District and Township Electrical Engineers Offices, Mandalay Division and Township City Development Committees (municipal bodies).

"In Kyigon ward, electricity is available once in every 10 days. But this ward has not been provided power for over one month now. In Thirimingalar ward, power is available once in every four days. It got power on 7th for the last time and since then, the area was blacked out. It should not be like that. The water supply should be available regularly in this technologically advanced age. We can say such unavailability of water and power in our city has been continuing for over a decade," she said.

During this campaign, ten-household-headmen from Aung Zeya Ward summoned the people, who had signed on the petition letter and warned them not to sign such a letter in future.

A similar campaign was launched in Chauk, Magwe Division by NLD party members and the local authorities collected signatures citing non-involvement in this campaign to counter the people's campaign, a local resident from Chauk told Mizzima.

A local resident said that they had already got over 800 signatures in this campaign and expected to get at least 10,000 more signatures. The letter signed by the people will be sent to the authorities on the 25th of this month, the local resident added.