Urgent Action - Leading Burmese Democracy Activist May Face Blindness

I recently received this email and I thought that the most appropriate thing to do was to post it in its entirety here.................

Dear friends,

We are extremely concerned for the safety of leading democracy activist Min Ko Naing, who is being held in Rangoon's notorious Insein Prison. He is suffering from a serious eye infection and may go blind because he is being denied medical treatment. It is reported that his eye condition has deteriorated to the point that he is unable to sleep or eat because of the pain the infection has caused.

Min Ko Naing has been in prison since August last year. He was arrested for leading protests in Rangoon. The protests triggered the biggest demonstrations in Burma since the 1988 uprising, but were brutally crushed by the dictatorship. We will never know how many were killed during the regime¹s brutal crackdown. Today, the situation in Burma remains as severe as ever. Arrests continue and torture is routine. Political prisoners are singled out for brutal treatment, including the denial of medical treatment.

Min Ko Naing is a leading democracy activist and one of the most famous student leaders from the 1988 uprising. He was arrested in 1989 and spent more than 16 years in prison. He was severely tortured and held in solitary confinement for most of his sentence. He was released in 2004 and despite constant threats and harassment by the regime, he has continued to campaign for freedom and democracy in Burma.

Please take action now. Visit
<http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/mkn_action.html> and send an email to urge
the Burmese authorities to allow immediate medical attention to Min Ko Naing
and all political prisoners.

Thank you for your support.

Anna Roberts
The Burma Campaign UK