New Delhi - Indian political parties including the Communist Party of India and the All India Forward Bloc today called on India to release the 34 Burmese rebels, who are now languishing in Kolkata's Presidency jail.

The call came in a message sent to a press conference held at Kolkata Press Club on Friday by the Solidarity Committee for Burma's Freedom Fighters, a group formed in solidarity with the Burmese rebels by Indian intellectuals, academicians, Human Rights activists and journalists.

Speaking to reporters, intellectuals, politicians and observers, Nandita Haksar, member of the Solidarity Committee, pointed to the loopholes in India's judicial system as it has failed to provide justice to the Burmese rebels, who have been detained in Indian soil for over ten years.

"It is not legal, we cannot detain people for eight years without charges," Haksar said.

The 34 Burmese rebels, who are currently languishing in Presidency Jail in Kolkata, were arrested by Indian security forces at Andaman & Nicobar Islands in February 1998.

The Indian defence establishment accused them of gun-running but they were detained at Port Blair with out a charge-sheet filed against them for eight years.

However, after Human Rights activists made appeals, the Supreme Court ordered the case to be transferred to Kolkata for a day-to-day trial.

"But even after eight years they (Burmese rebels) should have got day to day trial but the Kolkata court has violated this," Haksar added.

Haksar said, in solidarity with the Burmese rebels, who have long been deprived of justice, the Solidarity Committee in cooperation with West Bengal government, particularly the Sports and Transport Ministry is organizing a Bengali-Burmese friendly football match on Saturday.

"Certainly it is for this awareness that the Burmese freedom fighters are in jail in Kolkata and in fact the whole football match is organized by the sports department of the government of West Bengal," said Nandita, referring the Burmese rebels as 'Burmese Freedom Fighters'.

The Press conference also arranged an official introduction of the Burmese football team, which will play against India's premier football club Kingfisher's East Bengal on Saturday.

The Burmese football team will also play against Jadavpur University students on Sunday to highlight the plight of the Burmese rebels.

"We are saying that the most meaningful way to support the democracy movement in Burma is to first release freedom fighters in our own jail," Haksar said.

"It's no use just supporting Aung San Suu Kyi we must not have freedom fighters in our own jail," she added.