Actor, supporting Zarganar
“Burma is a country of horrors. Torture is commonplace, dissent is not tolerated, and censorship is almost total. It is unbelievable that such a regime can continue to exist. Take the case of popular comedian Zarganar. He is currently serving a 35-year prison sentence for criticising the junta’s handling of the cyclone relief efforts in 2008. Nothing short of ridiculous. The global community needs to wake up and act as one to condemn the country’s ruling military junta and their appalling human rights record”
Photograph: Leo Cackett
Former political prisoner, supporting Myo Min Htike
"In 1998 I was sentenced to 10 years for my involvement in pro-democracy protests. I served six years and fled Burma after my release because I was under surveillance. My family are still in Burma, I haven’t seen them for two years. They are afraid of contact with me. Myo Min Htike was arrested with me. He got 52 years which is not fair. If he was released he could help his family."
Photograph: James Mackay/Enigma Images
Former foreign secretary, supporting Khun Bedu
“Imagine being jailed for 37 years for campaigning against a constitution. It is absurd, but that’s the situation for Khun Bedu, who is an activist in Burma. His tale is emblematic of the human rights violations that happen on a daily basis in Burma – and that’s why I’ve chosen to write his name on my hand. It’s not just about Khun Bedu, it’s about the millions of people in Burma who cannot express their opinions without fear”
Photograph: James Mackay/Enigma Images
Photograph: James Mackay/Enigma Images
Comedian, supporting Zarganar
“What’s really staggering about Zarganar’s story is that the government ultimately locked him up for doing charity work. To get 35 years for trying to help the survivors of a natural disaster, and criticising the authorities for not doing more, is just ridiculous. Zarganar had already been banned from the stage for doing jokes that criticised Burma’s authorities, but it’s this act of kindness that pushed them over the edge. It’s unbelievable. We need to make as much noise about Zarganar as possible to pressure the Burmese government to release him. No-one should be in prison just for peacefully expressing their views”
Photograph: Amelia Jacobsen
Burma's most prominent former political prisoner, right hand man to Aung San Suu Kyi and founding member of the National League for Democracy (NLD), demands the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. The veteran journalist, is one of Burma's foremost outspoken critics of the ruling military regime and despite having spent more than 19 years in Insein prison and faced with the constant danger of re-arrest, he continues to work tirelessly to promote democracy and human rights in Burma
Photograph: James Mackay/Enigma Images
Nobel peace prize winner and human rights campaigner, supporting Aung San Suu Kyi
“For me, Honorary Elder Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is the living symbol of the Burmese people’s hope and courage. She is the embodiment of their determination to live in freedom, health and prosperity. At every Elders meeting we always keep an empty chair for her, though she has never been able to join us. Work with us in the spirit shown by Burma’s activists, for the day when she and her fellow activists will be free” Photograph: Benny Gool/The Elders
Exiled star of Oscar-nominated documentary Burma VJ, supporting Ngwe Soe Lin
“Ngwe Soe Lin was a student of mine. He wanted to tell the story of Burma too, so I taught him to shoot video in secret, to make DVD, to make news stories. He was arrested in an internet cafe, filing a report about the victims of Cyclone Nargis and jailed for 13 years. We are stateless, we are not safe, and there is no one to help us. I can never go back to Burma" Photograph: James Mackay/Enigma Images
Actress, supporting Mie Mie
“When you ask exiles and refugees about their hopes and plans, you’re met with quizzical looks, like, that question doesn’t really apply to me. In Mie Mie’s situation, the hope is even harder to find. She was sentenced to 65 years for her role in the peaceful protests of 2007. She has two children but she is in a prison nearly 1,300km from her home – making family visits impossible. It’s vital to raise the profile of Burmese prisoners and to express solidarity with their deplorable predicament” Photograph: Karen Robinson/Observer
Journalist and magazine editor, supporting Khun Bedu
“For all the freedoms we have there are so many like Khun Bedu in Burma who have been stripped of theirs. The forthcoming elections are sure to be a complete joke. But unfortunately it will be a joke at the expense of the many tortured, starving and imprisoned who have been denied their freedom and basic human rights by the barbaric military junta in control of the country. I hope something can be done to change the situation their soon”
Photograph: Leo Cackett
