Abhaya

In 1962, a military coup lead by General Ne Win saw Burma, an isolated Buddhist country in South-East Asia, come under the power of one of the world's most brutal regimes. For the past five decades, thousands of people have been arrested, tortured and given long prison sentences for openly expressing their beliefs. Today, more than 2,000 political prisoners including monks, students, journalists, lawyers, elected Members of Parliament and over 300 members of Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition party, The National League for Democracy, are incarcerated in horrendous conditions in Burma's notorious prisons. In Burma and accross the world, hundreds of former political prisoners have come together to raise awareness of the tragic plight of their colleagues still detained in jail. 'Abhaya: Burma's Fearlessness' is part of an international appeal for their liberation. Photographed standing with their right hand raised, palm out-turned facing the camera, the name of a current political prisoner is shown written on their hand. The sacred Buddhist gesture of Abhaya, 'Fear Not', is not only an act of silent protest, but also one of remembrance and fearlessness.