The military regime of Burma has so impoverished the country that, unlike Malaysia, they cannot afford to build gigantic, record-breaking structures. Instead, they aspire to the record of having the world's oldest political prisoner.

I am of course referring to Dr U Saw Mra Aung, elected member of parliament for the Mrauk-U constituency in the Arakan State. Dr Saw Mra Aung was born on April 23, 1908; he will be 93 years old during this session of the Commission on Human Rights.

In October, the regime released six elderly political prisoners at the request of Mr Razali Ismail, the United Nation's Secretary-General's Special Envoy (on Burma).

Dr Saw Mra Aung was not included in this group. Perhaps the regime assumes that 'ancient' is not the same as 'elderly'! Dr Saw Mra Aung, who is also the chairman of the Arakan League for Democracy, has been detained in a military camp outside Rangoon since 1998.

The Burmese regime is also eligible for the record of detaining political prisoners after they have completed their sentences. As we sit here in the commission, 42 human beings who have already served the full extent of their jail sentences, continue to be unlawfully imprisoned.

It is horrendous that these individuals, having been unjustly sentenced in the first place, are still in detention!

Torture and punishment

Of this group, I wish to highlight the situation of student leader, Min Ko Naing. He continues to be held under harrowing conditions in the Sittwe jail in the Arakan State. In 1989, he was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment; this was later commuted to 10 years under a general amnesty.

Min Ko Naing was supposed to be a free man two years ago but he continues to be held under conditions that may have permanently disabled him.

Amnesty International reports that Min Ko Naing was severely tortured and ill-treated during the early stages of his detention and his health has suffered as a consequence.

Why keep him and the others any longer? Hasn't the regime sufficiently tortured and punished them and their loved ones?

Mr Chairman, owing to constraints of time, I will refrain from speaking of the hundreds of political prisoners, harsh prison conditions, the detentions without trial, the sorry state of the judicial system, religious intolerance and the raging impunity being perpetrated in Burma.

I depend on the fact that the members and observers of the Commission have done sufficient reading of UN and other documents to grasp the seriousness of the situation.

Political rights

Mr Chairman and respected members of the commission, I urge you to use all means at your disposal to ensure that Burma's government releases all political prisoners - including those who are sick - who have completed their sentences, the aged, and ethnic nationality leaders.

Further, that the government acknowledges and upholds all the civil and political rights of the peoples of Burma. The government should be reminded that pursuing the record of the largest number of political prisoners, largest number of internally displaced people, largest number of youth excluded from education, and so on, is actually not something to be proud of.

The country of Burma celebrates the Buddhist New Year in two weeks' time. It is a tradition that people release birds and fish in order to gain merit. The Burmese regime should realise that releasing people, instead of birds and fish, would gain them infinitely more merit.

DEBORAH STOTHARD is the coordinator of human rights group Altsean-Burma. She delivered the above speech at the 50th session of the United Nations Human Rights Commission held in Geneva, Switzerland earlier this month.