"I offer my full support to Alan Clements in his efforts to engage in open dialogue with Mr. Mohammad Yunus, with the hope that Mr. Yunus will recognize the wisdom and compassion in calling for the immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and all other prisoners of conscience in Myanmar."  Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, Chuang Yen Monastery, President of the Buddhist Association of the United States, Founder-Chair of Buddhist Global Relief

..

Honorable Chief Adviser, Cabinet Division Muhammad Yunus, People's Republic of Bangladesh
Banga Bhaban Presidential Palace
Dhaka, Bangladesh

Excellency,

It is with deep respect that I write to you, acknowledging the recent victory for your people—a triumph for freedom that resonates far beyond the borders of Bangladesh, serving as a beacon of hope for all who yearn for liberty, justice, and universal human rights.

Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Alan Clements. I am a former Buddhist monk in Myanmar, born in America with Lebanese-Syrian heritage, and I have long been involved as an investigative journalist focused on Myanmar’s relentless struggle for freedom, the rule of law, and democracy. You may be familiar with my work alongside Aung San Suu Kyi, your fellow Nobel laureate. Together, we co-authored The Voice of Hope, and more recently, I collaborated with my colleague Fergus Harlow on a four-volume series, Burma's Voices of Freedom, which documents 25 years of interviews with former political prisoners in Myanmar. We also wrote Aung San Suu Kyi: From Prison, A Letter to a Dictator.

Excellency, the reason I am writing to you is to appeal to your deep sense of dignity, your conscience, and your unwavering commitment to democracy, non-violence, and reconciliation. On behalf of the 50 million people of Myanmar, the 20,000 political prisoners (95% of whom are Buddhist), President Win Myint, and my dear friend Aung San Suu Kyi (who, as you know, is currently in solitary confinement), I beseech your intervention. We believe she is still alive, though there is no certainty. She is likely being held somewhere in the capital area of Myanmar, her fate precarious, and her situation dire.

I was one of the first Americans to be ordained as a Buddhist monk in Myanmar in 1979. My journey has been inseparable from the country’s fight for freedom. I was expelled, deported, and banned from Myanmar for 17 years, facing numerous threats to my safety from the military dictatorship. Despite these challenges, my commitment to Myanmar has never wavered. I returned shortly after the 1988 nationwide uprising, risking my life to document the atrocities. My first book, Burma: The Next Killing Fields?, published in 1990 (with a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama), documented those atrocities, along with the attempted ethnic cleansing of the Karen Christians. Both Time and Newsweek magazines covered my work. Over the last 35 years, I have dedicated myself to bringing Myanmar’s non-violent 'Revolution of the Spirit' to the attention of the world.

Excellency, as you step into your role as the interim leader during this critical juncture in Bangladesh's history, I am keenly aware of the immense responsibility you bear. Your leadership is ushering in what many are calling a "new dawn" for Bangladesh, following the immense struggles that led to the recent student-led protests and the subsequent departure of Sheikh Hasina. The nation is looking to you to restore peace, rebuild, and guide the country through this transition with the same integrity and vision that earned you the Nobel Prize.

There is a radical crisis of conscience, of truth and misinformation, that has plagued not only Myanmar and my own country, America, but also yours. As you continue to heal the wounds of violence and discrimination in Bangladesh, I implore you to extend your influence to Myanmar. You have the power, the voice, and the moral authority to resurrect the truth about Myanmar's elected leaders—leaders who at this very moment are suffering in prison, who are being tortured, disappeared, and executed. As a leader of a neighboring nation, you have the unique potential to achieve what many deem impossible: To use your voice to advocate for the end of military dictatorship in Myanmar and seek reconciliation with Aung San Suu Kyi, and for the enduring cause of freedom and democracy for the entire nation, including all ethnic groups.

In the book Fergus and I have written, we transcribed over 500,000 words of Aung San Suu Kyi’s speeches, interviews, and talks, spanning from her release in 2010 until the military coup in 2021. This work includes her detailed statements on the Rohingya crisis, her unwavering stand for justice, and the relentless persecution she has faced. Our book strongly refutes (with solid evidence) the widespread untruths and misinformation that she colluded with the military dictatorship. Sir Derek Tonkin, a former UK ambassador, read our work and was deeply moved by how profoundly the world’s legacy media has distorted her stance. So much so, he sent the book to the universal jurisdiction courts in Germany and Argentina, where it was accepted as evidence to clear her name. (Subsequently, the case in Germany was dismissed.)

Excellency, you are in a position to call for the urgent release of Aung San Suu Kyi and the thousands of other elected democratic officials who languish in Myanmar's prisons. Your leadership in Bangladesh, which has emerged from its own struggles, stands as a beacon of hope. The situation in Myanmar is escalating, with the very real threat of genocide on the horizon—fueled by weapons supplied by Russia and China. Few are paying attention. But I am. Fergus is. And many others stand with us. And we stand with the people of Myanmar.

I also want to bring to your attention a letter sent to you on August 16 by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, in which he eloquently echoed our deepest concerns. He stated, “It is my hope that your government will take an inclusive approach, to ensure the full protection of all citizens and, in particular, of minorities. I also strongly urge you to ensure the well-being of the one million Rohingya refugees currently in Bangladesh, especially in view of the deteriorating situation in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar.”

The Secretary-General’s words could not be more timely. Given the rapidly deteriorating situation in Myanmar, the only true hope for national reconciliation, and for the safe and secure return of the Rohingya and their peaceful and equal integration into Myanmar, lies in the immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi and the entire democratically elected government. We believe that you hold the key to achieving this historic and noble outcome.

Allow me to emphasize that the persecution of the Rohingya cannot be diminished or ignored. Their suffering is undeniable and demands justice. However, this tragic chapter should not blind us to the broader catastrophe unfolding in Myanmar. Since Min Aung Hlaing’s brutal military coup in 2021, millions have been displaced, entire communities decimated by relentless bombings, and countless civilians have been slaughtered. Hundreds of democratically elected leaders, alongside 20,000 political prisoners, languish in prisons, likely enduring torture. The urgent demand for their release is undeniable. Regardless of our opinions on Aung San Suu Kyi’s so-called "silence," we must not replicate it. Silence, in this context, is to condone it—an endorsement of barbarity as an acceptable norm.

Excellency, I urge you to consider initiating a dialogue with me to set the record straight and to use your influence to bring about an extraordinary moment of reconciliation in human history.

We propose what we call the Ashoka Peace Accords, a call for the immediate release of these democratic leaders and an end to the violence that threatens to consume Myanmar. We believe this could mark the beginning of a second wave of independence, where truth, dignity, and the power of conscience triumph over tyranny. Your involvement could be pivotal in realizing this vision, potentially leading to regional stability, improved bilateral relations, and enhanced global standing for Bangladesh.

Excellency, I am personally prepared to come to Dhaka immediately to discuss in greater detail what I have outlined in this letter. I have known Aung San Suu Kyi intimately for decades, along with her late husband and family, and her spiritual guide, the late Venerable Sayadaw U Pandita, who played a pivotal role in Myanmar’s non-violent struggle. I also knew her closest colleagues, many of whom are now imprisoned.

This is a pivotal moment, not just for Myanmar but for the entire region. Your leadership in Bangladesh, following its own struggles, stands as a beacon of hope. I pray that you will consider this appeal—not just for the sake of Myanmar, but for the future of all humanity.

In closing, I would like to remind you of an incident that underscores the gravity of the situation. Aung San Suu Kyi’s esteemed lawyer, Ko Ni, a devout Muslim from Rakhine State and a representative of the National League for Democracy, who was arduously trying to find legal ways of overturning the (military-drafted) Constitution of 2008 that essentially permanently enshrined military dictatorship, was brutally murdered in broad daylight while holding his grandchild at the international airport in Yangon. I was in Yangon at the time, meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi's closest friends and colleagues. This was not just a murder; it was an assassination of justice, of freedom, and of the very principles you hold dear. Aung San Suu Kyi has also had her life threatened, as have those in her inner circle. And rest assured, Sir, she is anything but Islamophobic. She is truly, like you, a hero of freedom, democracy, equality, justice, and the rule of law. Her people know that. She chose to remain in Myanmar, to fight through legal and democratic means, and for that, she has been subjected to a modern-day witch hunt.

In the spirit of the late Reverend Desmond Tutu, your fellow Nobel laureate, who championed the power of forgiveness and reconciliation, I plead with you to open a dialogue, to hear the truth from those of us who have dedicated our lives to this cause. I believe that your recent victory in Bangladesh can be a powerful catalyst for radical change in Myanmar. As you stabilize your own country, I urge you to consider how your leadership, your voice, and your conscience can bring about the release of these revolutionary heroes in Myanmar.

I look forward to hearing from you and would be honored to fly to Dhaka to meet with you and your cabinet at your earliest convenience—the sooner, the better, given the gravity of the crisis in Myanmar. I would also be privileged to set up a Zoom call to discuss the next steps. Of course, immediately working together is the ideal and hoped-for course of action. With full respect to your time and duties. I await your word.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to the possibility of working together to achieve this noble cause.

With deepest respect and sincerity,

Alan Clements
Author, Human Rights Activist, Investigative Journalist, and Former Buddhist Monk

Fergus Harlow
Author and Investigative Journalist, specializing in Myanmar's struggle for freedom

Endorsement for the BOOK: THE VOICE OF HOPE: Aung San Suu Kyi from Prison, By Alan Clements and Fergus Harlow

"I am happy to endorse this timely book, by Alan Clements and Fergus Harlow, a summary of their book set of meticulous research and years of seeing the problem in Burma. There are many people in the world who are truly concerned about the crisis in Burma and the difficulties faced by Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Laureate and State Counsellor.

Silencing people through sheer force is not the solution to a problem. Any problem can be solved through dialogue in the genuine spirit of reconciliation.

I congratulate Alan, and Fergus too, for completing this book despite Alan’s very fragile health. I believe this is the most truthful and accurate commentary on how the world got it wrong, not unlike Tibet, and what we can do to support them all, to avert disaster.

Martin Luther King said, 'I do not feel sad when bad people do bad things but feel sad when good people do not do anything.'"

Geshe Lhakdor, Distinguished scholar, Translator and Interpreter for His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama 1989 to 2005, Director of the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives in Dharamshala, and Head of the Science Education Project (a one hundred year initiative)