Press Statement

Date: April 2, 2008

When Mr. Gambari, the special envoy to Secretary General of the United Nations , visited Burma in November 2007, the Burmese Military Junta promised him not to arrest any more pro-democracy activists and to release those people who were detained during August/September 2007 demonstrations.

However, the Military Junta didn't keep their word and they continued to arrest activists. During the first three months of 2008, the junta arrested at least 52 dissenters. See annex for full list .

A majority of the arrested people are members of National League for Democracy (NLD) party. Others are journalists, poets, students and youths. In many cases, a person is arrested without their relatives knowing the circumstances and where about of the loved ones. For example, Kyaw Ko Ko and Nyan Linn Aung were arrested on March 17, 2008 and their relative still do not know what happened to them. Their concerned families were not been informed about the arrest by the military authorities. Some detainees were charged under criminal cases but many victims do not know what kinds of charges are filed against them.

Many monks were charged under the criminal act 295 that covers the destruction of the Buddah Sasathana (Buddihism). After they received the prison sentence, they may be sent to labor camps where they will receive the most severe brutal torture, starvation and exhaustion. The 2007 monk demonstration and boycott is not an isolated case. Such kind of boycott happened in 1990. At that time, monks were arrested and charged under Penal code section 295. Then, they were sent to labor camps. At least 19 monks died at labor camps because of extreme physical cruelties, malnourishment and exhaustion.

Those who are placed in Insein prison have not been allowed to walk outside of their 8 by 12 feet prison cell. They have to stay in their small cell for 23 hours and 40 minutes a day. In addition, political prisoners are sometimes allowed a small amount of food that relatives bring to prison. People without relatives are suffered the most as they face a lack of a proper diet. Other political prisoners who have regular families' visit cannot share their foods with others.

Another dire situation is medical care. Prison doctors do not treat political prisoners once they become sick. Medical treatment of political prisoners must be approved by intelligence personnel, supreme officers, ministries of home affair, defense or foreign, who directly control the cases. As a result of this bureaucracy, political prisoners suffer greatly as it takes time for getting permission for a proper treatment.

Some people lost their eye sight others lost their lives because of this delay. For example, U Than Lwin, a member of parliament from NLD is detained at Mandalay prison, lost one of his eye sight because of the untimely treatment. Hla Myo Naung, a leader of the 88 Generation Student is in Insein prison, where he lost also one of his eye sights and he is about to loose the sight in his remaining eye.

After August and September 2007 pro-democracy demonstrations, 700 more activists still remain in prisons. 40 out of the 700 have already received prison terms. Among them, 16 political prisoners are suffering from various kinds of diseases such as heart problem, hypertension and so forth. See annex

There are 1890 political prisoners in total in Burma at the present, of that at least 87 political prisoners are in need of proper medical treatment.

The Burmese Military Junta is intimidating human rights activists, members of NLD party and democracy activists by any means outside of prison, including beating or threatening by groups of thugs who perform the dirty work. While activists were in prison, the junta also used hooligans to bully political prisoners.

We ask the international community, especially the United Nation Security Council and Human Right Council to take immediate consideration in this matter and prevent the Burmese Military Junta to further terrorize their citizens.

Assistance Association for Political Prisoners ( Burma )

For more information:

Contact to : Ko Tate Naing at (66) 81-2878751

: Ko Bo Kyi at (66) 81- 3248935