Thursday, 29 September 2011 21:12 Ko Wild
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – How many political prisoners are in Burmese jails? The Thai-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners-Burma (AAPP-B) joint secretary Bo Kyi says his group is updating its records to try to determine an exact number.
“We are making sure of the accuracy of our numbers and updating our list,” he said. “Our list might be incomplete. We know some of them were arrested, but we can’t trace them afterwards and we don’t know their current status, whether they have been released or are being detained.”
Bo Kyi responded to Mizzima’s question after presidential adviser Ko Ko Hlaing was interviewed on Radio Free Asia -Burmese Service during his tour of the U.S. In the interview, he said that the actual number of political prisoners was less than the figure cited by AAPP-B when the government rechecked it.
“The actual figure is not as high as their [AAPP] list,” he said. “Some of the prisoners on their list are still prisoners. But I don’t know the exact number.
“Even so, some of the prisoners are imprisoned in connection with heinous crimes such as bombings, illegal drug cases and murder cases. We were told that hundreds of such criminals are included in their political prisoners’ list.”
According to the AAPP-B list, there were 1,998 political prisoners at the end of August 2011.
“Some of these political prisoners were sent to prison labour camps so it took a lot of time to access those in the camps. We cannot access some of them,” Bo Kyi told Mizzima.
The AAPP-B compiled its list from various sources such as government press conferences, prisoners released from prisons and governmental departments. Also the AAPP definition of political prisoners is different from the government’s definition, he said.
“In Burma, there are civil war and ethnic issues. In our definition, those from ethnic armed groups and those arrested for supporting and working in ‘unlawful’ associations are political prisoners,” Bo Kyi said.
He gave an example of the case of DVB reporter Hla Hla Win in making his argument. The reporter was arrested in September 2009 on her way back from interviewing monks in Pakokku. She was then charged under the Export-Import Act because her motorcycle had no license and under the Electronic Law. She was sentenced to 27 years imprisonment and is being detained in Katha Prison.
“We look at why these prisoners were arrested and imprisoned and disregard the charges made by the government under different sections of criminal laws,” Bo Kyi said.
The Burmese government does not recognize the word political prisoners; it only uses the word prisoners.
Attorney Aung Thein, a member of the Legal Aid group of the National League for Democracy (NLD), also cited the example of Myint Aye, a member of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters (HRDP). Some prisoners are arrested, he said, but if the authorities lack evidence the prisoners may be tortured to extract confessions for crimes they didn’t commit. Myint Aye is being detained now in Loikaw Prison, he said.
“We cannot say such prisoners are bombers though the government charged them in a bomb blast case,” he said. He said the NLD is giving some prisoners financial assistance to help in their ordeal.
HRDP member Myint Aye worked in human rights awareness campaigns, but he was charged with the bombing of a Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) office in Rangoon. He was sentenced to prison in November 2008.
Aung Thein said that the government frequently used laws such as sedition, unlawful assembly, unlawful association, illegal border crossing, the 1950 Emergency Provisions Act, the 1962 Printers and Publishers Act and the Electronic Law in charging political prisoners.
Some political prisoners are simply framed under false criminal cases, he said.
In May 2011, President Thein Sein issued a limited amnesty which commuted all prison sentences by one year and more than 14,600 prisoners were released from prisons across the country. Only a few political prisoners were included. The number of political prisoners released at that time was not made known, but it was estimated that the number was between 30 and 70.
In an address delivered at the 66th U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, Burmese Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin said that another amnesty order was likely to be issued soon.
Among the more than 1,998 political prisoners, 37 “88-generation” student leaders are serving sentences of more than 65 years; SSA-N (Shan State Army-North) chairman Major General Se Htin is serving 106 years; and Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) party leader Khun Tun Oo is serving a term of 93 years.
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – How many political prisoners are in Burmese jails? The Thai-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners-Burma (AAPP-B) joint secretary Bo Kyi says his group is updating its records to try to determine an exact number.
“We are making sure of the accuracy of our numbers and updating our list,” he said. “Our list might be incomplete. We know some of them were arrested, but we can’t trace them afterwards and we don’t know their current status, whether they have been released or are being detained.”
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| A crowd of relatives and friends wait in front of Insein Prison in Rangoon on May 17, 2011, eagerly looking for their loved ones to appear as part of a general prisoner amnesty release. Photo: Mizzima |
Bo Kyi responded to Mizzima’s question after presidential adviser Ko Ko Hlaing was interviewed on Radio Free Asia -Burmese Service during his tour of the U.S. In the interview, he said that the actual number of political prisoners was less than the figure cited by AAPP-B when the government rechecked it.
“The actual figure is not as high as their [AAPP] list,” he said. “Some of the prisoners on their list are still prisoners. But I don’t know the exact number.
“Even so, some of the prisoners are imprisoned in connection with heinous crimes such as bombings, illegal drug cases and murder cases. We were told that hundreds of such criminals are included in their political prisoners’ list.”
According to the AAPP-B list, there were 1,998 political prisoners at the end of August 2011.
“Some of these political prisoners were sent to prison labour camps so it took a lot of time to access those in the camps. We cannot access some of them,” Bo Kyi told Mizzima.
The AAPP-B compiled its list from various sources such as government press conferences, prisoners released from prisons and governmental departments. Also the AAPP definition of political prisoners is different from the government’s definition, he said.
“In Burma, there are civil war and ethnic issues. In our definition, those from ethnic armed groups and those arrested for supporting and working in ‘unlawful’ associations are political prisoners,” Bo Kyi said.
He gave an example of the case of DVB reporter Hla Hla Win in making his argument. The reporter was arrested in September 2009 on her way back from interviewing monks in Pakokku. She was then charged under the Export-Import Act because her motorcycle had no license and under the Electronic Law. She was sentenced to 27 years imprisonment and is being detained in Katha Prison.
“We look at why these prisoners were arrested and imprisoned and disregard the charges made by the government under different sections of criminal laws,” Bo Kyi said.
The Burmese government does not recognize the word political prisoners; it only uses the word prisoners.
Attorney Aung Thein, a member of the Legal Aid group of the National League for Democracy (NLD), also cited the example of Myint Aye, a member of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters (HRDP). Some prisoners are arrested, he said, but if the authorities lack evidence the prisoners may be tortured to extract confessions for crimes they didn’t commit. Myint Aye is being detained now in Loikaw Prison, he said.
“We cannot say such prisoners are bombers though the government charged them in a bomb blast case,” he said. He said the NLD is giving some prisoners financial assistance to help in their ordeal.
HRDP member Myint Aye worked in human rights awareness campaigns, but he was charged with the bombing of a Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) office in Rangoon. He was sentenced to prison in November 2008.
Aung Thein said that the government frequently used laws such as sedition, unlawful assembly, unlawful association, illegal border crossing, the 1950 Emergency Provisions Act, the 1962 Printers and Publishers Act and the Electronic Law in charging political prisoners.
Some political prisoners are simply framed under false criminal cases, he said.
In May 2011, President Thein Sein issued a limited amnesty which commuted all prison sentences by one year and more than 14,600 prisoners were released from prisons across the country. Only a few political prisoners were included. The number of political prisoners released at that time was not made known, but it was estimated that the number was between 30 and 70.
In an address delivered at the 66th U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, Burmese Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin said that another amnesty order was likely to be issued soon.
Among the more than 1,998 political prisoners, 37 “88-generation” student leaders are serving sentences of more than 65 years; SSA-N (Shan State Army-North) chairman Major General Se Htin is serving 106 years; and Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) party leader Khun Tun Oo is serving a term of 93 years.
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