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INSTITUT DES DROITS DE L'HOMME DU BARREAU DE BORDEAUX |
INSTITUT DES DROITS DE
L'HOMME DU BARREAU DE BRUXELLES |
INSTITUT DES DROITS DE
L'HOMME DU BARREAU DE PARIS |
INSTITUT DES DROITS DE L'HOMME DES AVOCATS
EUROPEENS |
UNIONE FORENSE PER LA TUTELA DEI DIRITTI
DELL'UOMO |
THE LUDOVIC TRARIEUX AWARD 2008
Prix International des droits de
l'homme Ludovic-Trarieux 2008
Ludovic-Trarieux International Human Rights Prize 2008
Premio Internacional de Derechos Humanos Ludovic
Trarieux 2008
Internationalen
Ludovic-Trarieux-Menschenrechtspreis 2008
Prêmio Internacional de Direitos Humanos Ludovic Trarieux 2008
Premio Internazionale per i Diritti Umani Ludovic Trarieux 2008
Ludovic Trarieux Internationale Mensenrechtenprijs 2008
Since 1984
"The International tribute from Lawyers to a
Lawyer"
U Aye Myint (BURMA)
Ludovic-Trarieux International Human Rights Prize 2008
In a meeting on May 17th 2008 in Luxemburg, the Jury of 21 european
lawyers awarded the 13th International Human Rights Prize "Ludovic
Trarieux" 2008 ("The award given by lawyers to a lawyer") to
burmese labour lawyer (Myanmar)
The award was presented personally to Prize winner in secret in Rangoon in
September 2008, by Mr Mario Lana, president of Unione Forense per la Tutela dei
diritti umani (UFTDU), and then presented in abstentia on October 22nd, 2008 in
the Italian Senate, by Sra Emma Bonino, vice presidente of the Italian
Senate.(Photo UFTDU). (
(Prize Winning Ceremony
2008 on Youtube.)
Click here for seeing The Prize Winning Ceremony on Real Player
**Roma 22nd
October 2008 - Emma Bonino congatulates Prize winner's representative after
presenting the Award 2008, "The most prestigious Prize awarded to a lawyer
in Europe".
Beaudee
Zawmin's Acceptance Speech
on behalf of U Aye Myint
at the 13th International Human
Rights Prize “Ludovic Trarieux” 2008
Beaudee Zawmin's Acceptance Speech
on behalf of
U Aye Myint
at the 13th International Human
Rights Prize “Ludovic Trarieux” 2008
President
Schifani, Distinguished Guests, Lawyers, Parliamentarians, Ladies and
Gentlemen:
I am deeply
honored and proud to be here today to receive, on behalf of U Aye Myint, the "13th
International Human Rights Prize “Ludovic Trarieux” 2008 awarded by
the European Bar Human Rights Institute.
As a
Representative of the Burmese Democratic Movement and fellow countryman I can
assure you that U Aye Myint will be deeply grateful for the recognition that
you have extended to him for his years of commitment to the efforts to restore
justice, human and labor rights in our country, Burma.
If he were present
here today, he, being a modest person, would say that there are many people in
Burma who have made even greater sacrifices for the cause and therefore,
deserve the prize more than him.
U Aye Myint is
well-deserving of the award, but it should be seen as an award in
acknowledgement of all human rights advocates who are fighting for supremacy of
law and justice for the neglected and unfortunate people of Burma.
Burma is a country
where people are deprived of basic rights. People are frequently arrested
without warrant and held incommunicado. Torture and other forms of cruel,
inhuman and degrading treatment are common in pre-trial detention.
Proceedings
against political detainees have failed to meet international standards for
fair trial. Defendants are often denied the right to legal counsel or to legal
counsel of their own choice, and prosecutors are known to have relied on
confessions extracted through torture and forced interrogation.
U Aye Myint`s
selflessness, moral correctness, and deep compassion for the plight of the
people have brought him to set up a legal aid group in Burma to handle cases of
illegal land confiscation and workers' rights.
He has been
imprisoned several times over cases that he has brought to the courts and to
the International Labour Organisation, and has had his licence to practice
revoked. He also suffered cruel and inhuman treatment while in prison.
U Aye Myint and
eight other persons were arrested on July 2003 by members of the Military
Intelligence and charged for High Treason for their antigovernment activities
and later released.
In 2005, U Aye
Myint, brought to the attention of the ILO the complaints of residents of a
village who claimed their land had been seized by the military.
Authorities
alleged that he provided incorrect and false information and arrested him for
the second time. He was charged for helping farmers report to the authorities
and to the ILO that local officials had confiscated their land.
The Burmese
military junta finally released Aye Myint. In 2007 U Aye Myint, provided legal
aid to more than 100 construction workers from the new capital, Naypyidaw,
planning to file a complaint with the ILO, claiming their company failed to pay
wages to them.
Recently, on
January 15, 2008, U Aye Myint, as a leader of the Guiding Star Legal Aid group,
handled complaints from a group of farmers who were promised some land by local
officials.
After the farmers
worked on it during the rainy season, they were informed that the land was
owned by a relative of junta leader General Than Shwe. They were charged for
criminal trespassing and now face imprisonment.
U Aye Myint is now
seeking witnesses and preparing evidence from the jailed villagers’ family
members in order to help the villagers bring a forced labour complaint to the
ILO.
Aye Myint has said
that he will continue to take up rights-related cases. Along with him the people of Burma today are continuing their struggle
for democracy. Many whom remain strong
in unity and spirit.
Even though the
peaceful protests in September led by Buddhist monks in Burma were brutally
crushed by the Burmese military who killed, maimed, and arrested many of them,
our people are determined to continue with our peaceful, nonviolent struggle.
Our movement is strong and unwavering thanks to the courage and bravery of
people like UAye Myint and the strong support of friends like yourselves. By presenting the "13th International Human Rights
Prize “Ludovic Trarieux” 2008 to U Aye Myint, the European
Bar Human Rights Institute has
given our democracy movement determination to continue the struggle.
For that, U Aye
Myint and the people of Burma will always be grateful to the lawyers of the European
Bar Human Rights Institute, the Italian Senate and the Foreign Ministry.
Thank You.
Send Congratulations to U
Aye Myint for the Award
Created in 1984, the "International Human
Rights Prize Ludovic Trarieux” is awarded to " a lawyer, regardless of
nationality or Bar, who thoroughout his career has illustrated, by his activity
or his suffering, the defence of human rights, the promotion of defence rights,
the supremacy of law, and the struggle against racism and intolerance in any
form ".
It is the oldest and most prestigious award
given to a lawyer in the world, commemorating the memory of the French lawyer,
Ludovic Trarieux (1840-1904), who in the midst of the Dreyfus Affair, in
France, in 1898, founded the " League for the Defence of Human Rights and
the Citizen ", because, he said: " It was not only the single cause
of a man which was to be defended, but behind this cause, law, justice,
humanity ".
The first Prize was awarded on March 29th,
1985 to Nelson Mandela then in jail. It was officially presented to his
daughter, Zenani Mandela Dlamini, on April 27th 1985, in front of forty
presidents of Bars and Law Societies from Europe and Africa. It was the first
award given to Mandela in France and the first around the world given by
lawyers. On February 11th 1990, Nelson Mandela was released. Since then, it was
decided that the Prize would be awarded again.
Since 2003, the Prize is awarded every year
in partnership by the Human Rights Institute of The Bar of Bordeaux, the Human
Rights Institute of the Bar of Paris, the Human Rights Institute of The Bar of
Brussels, l'Unione forense per la tutela dei diritti dell'uomo (Roma) and the
European Bar Human Rights Institute (IDHAE) whose members are the biggest
european law societies fighting for human rights such as The Law Society of
England and Wales, Rechtsanwaltskamme Berlin, Ordre français des Avocats du
barreau de Bruxelles, barreau de Luxembourg or Polish National Council of the
Bar (Warsaw). It is presented every year in a city that is home to one of the
member Institutes.
1985: Nelson
MANDELA (South Africa)
1992: Augusto
ZÚÑIGA PAZ (Peru)
†
1994: Jadranka
CIGELJ (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
1996 Najib HOSNI (Tunisia) et Dalila MEZIANE
(Algeria)
1998 : ZHOU Guoqiang (China)
2000 : Esber YAGMURDERELI (Turkey)
2002 : Mehrangiz KAR (Iran)
2003 : Digna OCHOA et Bárbara ZAMORA
(Mexico).
2004 : Akhtam NAISSE (Syria)
2005 : Henri BURIN DES ROZIERS (Brazil)
2006: Parvez IMROZ (India)
2007 : René GÓMEZ MANZANO (Cuba)
2008: U AYE MYINT (Burma)
