Dhaka: Arakanese democracy activists in exile staged large scale protests against the Burmese military junta on Monday in two different places in Bangladesh, for putting democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi on trial in the notorious Insein prison in Burma.

The International Burmese Monks Organization along with sections of Bangladeshi people demonstrated against the junta in Cox’s Bazaar in Bangladesh, a town contiguous to the Burma border. The Rakhine Women’s Union in capital Dhaka also demonstrated demanding immediate freedom for Suu Kyi.

“The arrest of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is unfair because she sheltered an American who swam across to her house. This occurred because of
their (junta’s) security lapse. Suu Kyi is innocent and the junta must free her,” said Ashin Khaemida, an organizer of the demonstration from the International All Burmese Monks Organization.

The Noble Laureate Suu Kyi along with two members of her party,  Khin Khin Win and Win Ma Ma -- mother and her daughter, who look after her, are detained in Yangon’s Insein prison since last Thursday on charges of sheltering an American citizen who swam to her lakeside residence.

“The junta arrested Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on concocted charges to keep her away from Burma’s democracy movement. She is a big threat
to the junta’s forthcoming 2010 general elections designed to legitimize and entrench military rule in Burma,” said Saw Mra Raza Lin, Chairperson of the Rakhine Women’s Union.

The protesters in their statement requested neighbouring countries especially China and India to pressurize the Burmese junta to free Suu Kyi and help Burma usher in real democracy.

The demonstrators shouted slogans calling for the immediate release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners.

The junta started a closed-door trail of Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday in the notorious Insein prison on charges of breaching her house-arrest terms amid protests from international governments and communities.