Date: May 13, 2005

(1) Ko Aung Hlaing Win, who is a member of National League For Democracy was arrested on May 1, 2005 by an unknown group of men who were assumed to be soldiers. However, no one knew where he was taken. On May 10, 2005 the commander of an interrogation centre, Lt Col
Min Naing, came to his family and informed them that Ko Aung Hlaing Win died on May 7, 2005 due to a heart attack, and tried to give his family 100,000 kyats in Burmese currency to use for the prayer ceremony. Ko Aung Hlaing Win's family refused to take that money.

(2) As soon as the family learnt that their loved one had passed away, they published an announcement. In this announcement the family said, “Ko Aung Hlaing Win
passed away unexpectedly, or because of an unknown reason”. But the authorities forced them to change the words into “Ko Aung Hlaing Win passed away because of general diseases”.

(3) We see the following facts in the case:
- Ko Aung Hlaing was arrested without warrant
- The authorities didn’t inform the family why they arrested him and where he was brought
- He was tortured to death during the investigation
- The authorities destroyed the dead body of Ko Aung Hlaing Win without informing
the family.
- Misuse of power for concealing the true facts of the case
- Threatening and persuading the family not to speak out by giving them a small amount
of money.

(4) The above factors prove that the junta in Burma breaks the law, although they declare that “no one is above the law”. Moreover, they don’t abide international laws. The worst is that there are no international or internal laws which allow the destroying of the dead body without prior medical examination or without the knowledge of the family. The case occurred not in the battle area but in the capital of Burma. This information attests to the fact that the junta committed a crime.

(5) Therefore, Burmese people are living under appalling conditions under the current military regime.

(6) Therefore, we demand the Senior General Than Shwe’s administration stop such kinds of murder during investigations, brings the perpetuators of such crimes to trial, and explains the cases to the public.

(7) We also request that International governments, international jurist organizations and human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, condemn the junta for its murdering of activists, and puts pressure on Mr. Paul Segio Pinheiro, UN Special Rapporteur on Burma, to set up an independent inquiry into the murder of Ko Aung Hlaing Win.

Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma)