Junta’s amnesty meaningless sans political prisoners: AI

by Mungpi
Friday, 18 September 2009 14:43

New Delhi (Mizzima) - Unless the over 2,200 political prisoners languishing in prisons across the country are included among the prisoners being freed, the amnesty announced by the military rulers on Thursday would be meaningless, Amnesty International said.

Benjamin Zawacki, Burma researcher of the AI on Friday told Mizzima, “Unless the more than the 2,200 political prisoners are released, any gesture like this would be meaningless as far as Human Rights is concerned.”

Amnesty International’s stand came following the Burmese military junta’s announcement on Thursday evening about the release of 7,114 prisoners across the country in an amnesty based on ‘humanitarian grounds’ and to enable them to serve national interest.

Zawacki said, the junta in the past 18 months has twice made similar gestures where a tiny portion of prisoners of conscience were included.

“Unless the 2,200 political prisoners are included among the more than 7,000 prisoners released, it certainly does not meet the expectation of the international community articulated by Ban Ki-moon,” Zawacki said.

The United Nations Chief, Ban Ki-moon, during his visit to Burma in July urged the government to release all political prisoners including detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, as a step to begin the process of national reconciliation in the country.

Following Ban’s visit, Burma’s UN Ambassador Than Swe told the Security Council that his government is preparing to release prisoners to allow them to participate in the forthcoming 2010 elections.

Burma has been persistent in its denial of having political prisoners saying all prisoners are charged with violating the existing law.

On Friday afternoon, the initial release of about 100 prisoners from Mandalay prison does not include any political prisoners.

Meanwhile, in Rangoon’s notorious Insein prison, authorities are holding a press briefing on Friday afternoon and opposition sources said they expect a few political prisoners including some prominent student activists to be among those freed.