A government-backed committee will attempt to define the term “political prisoner” through the parliament, according to a meeting held with human rights organisations.
The Remaining Political Prisoners Scrutiny Committee held a meeting in Yangon on August 30 attended by President Office Minister Soe Thein, Deputy Minister Aung Thein and 15 other committee members.
“Community-based organisations and political parties are required to work together to find out comprehensive definition of political prisoners. When this matter is put on the agenda in parliament, it will be passed as law,” said Bo Kyi, joint-secretary for the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).
AAPP is a human rights organisation set up by former detainees that works for the release of all prisoners of conscience in Myanmar. Bo Kyi was replying to questions by reporters after the meeting.
“According to the temporary agreement, political prisoners are defined as any individual who is detained or being legally punished for participating in various forms of political activity due to a belief that it would serve the interest of the country and its people,” added Bo Kyi.
He called for departmental organisations to participate in scrutinising the remaining political prisoners, despite there being fewer political prisoners behind the bars now than before. Many of those still detained are members of ethnic armed groups who have been fighting the central government for decades.
“Members of ethnic armed groups had to be detained due to a belief that it would serve the interest of a national race and its people. They were recognised as political prisoners. Exact data as to the detained members of ethnic armed groups has not been received yet,” said Ye Aung, a member of the committee.
Both the committee and human rights organisations have asked the Correctional Department for the list of prisoners currently detained under the Section 17, or the establishment of unofficial association as defined by the previous military regime.
The meeting also discussed about how to scrutinise the remaining political prisoners to make sure none remain behind bars by years end.
SHAME ON AAPP -Lt-Col Khun Kyaw aka Than Gyaung- Than Chaung-How could he be named as political prisoner when he had committed murder, rape, beheading to fellow ABSDF members. Such a shame to put his name under the political prisoners. If they put his name under political prisoner and it could leverage the genuine political prisoners who are with clean hands. This could make confusions to the generations to start thinking that ABSDF members are also the same. It could deeply tarnish their ABSDF’s fame.
When President Thein Sein’s administration released 73 political prisoners on July 23, questions began to emerge about the eventual fate of three members of the militant All Burma Student’s Democratic Front (ABSDF) who remained behind bars.
The students who were accused of being enemy’s spies and were tortured in Pagyoung camp
The releases are evidence that the President intends to keep his promise made during a recent visit to the United Kingdom where he declared that there would be no more prisoners of conscience in Myanmar. However, what defines a political prisoner when they have engaged in acts of killing, perhaps even torture and murder, is a question that concerns ABSDF members Than Gyoung, Myint Soe and Sao Khun Kyaw.
The three are accused of killing 39 fellow students between 1991 and 1992, some of them executed after being accused of being military spies and others were tortured to death while being interrogated. These accusations raise difficult questions about the actions committed by militant student groups in the struggle against military rule, revealing some of the murkier internal politics of the pro-democracy resistance movement.
“All those arrested for political beliefs are accepted as political prisoners. But we cannot accept and forgive the acts of violating law and human rights. Those who committed crimes must face the punishment according to the law. We can’t mix them up,” said Kyaw Htwe, a leader with the opposition National League of Democracy.
Thirty-nine out of 73 prisoners recently released belonged to the All Burma Student’s Democratic Front (ABSDF), a group led by students who fled their homes to take up arms against the military dictatorship, after the brutal and bloody crackdown of the 1988 pro-democracy uprising. Many joined forces with various armed ethnic groups who were fighting for regional autonomy. Continue reading “Political prisoners or mass murderers?”→
5 other released prisoners were members of the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF)
Ko Aye Min Naing, Ma San San Maw, Ko Zaw Lwin, Ko Kyaw Zin Oo and Ko Htet Ko Lwin from Thayarwaddy Prison have been released,
The ninth round of amnesty for political prisoners has been granted prior to the President Thein Sein’s visit to the United States.
Within the two years after the President Thein Sein government has taken the office, the ninth amnesty of the political prisoners, under the section 401 subsection (1) was granted on May 17.
Twenty-three political prisoners, including former army captain Nay Myo Zin, who was sentenced to three months in jail as he refused to pay a fine of 20,000 kyats for defaming the police’s reputation, were granted in this time amnesty.
Nay Myo Zin was re-arrested on May 2 together with his remaining years of jail sentence of the former conviction. However, he is released totally in this time amnesty as his remaining sentence has been commuted.
“I think this is what the government should do for the sake of public desire. Director of the Maubin Prison told me that that time amnesty is under Section 401 subsection (1) according to the letter released by the President’s Office. This time releasing has no bond. I hope every prisoner of conscience has such kind of clearance in their releasing,” Nay Myo Zin said.
According to the reports until May 17 evening, ten political prisoners from the Insein Prison, five from the Tharyawady Prison, two from the Taungoo Prison and each from Mandalay, Pathein, Maubin, Taunggyi, Lashio prisons were released. Among them, most were accused of convicted in bombing and explosion.
The released prisoners are Aung Naing, Kan Min Thar, Sai Tin Min Ko, Win Myint, Sai Khanhlu, Haymar Nay Win @ Mar Mar Lwin, Ye Htut Khaung, Soe Shwe @ Panyar Wuntha, Kyaw Moe Htet and Tun Oo from the Insein Prison, Aye Min Naing @ Aung Htoo, Htet Ko Lin, Kyaw Zin Oo @ Hpone Kyaw, San San Maw and Zaw Lwin @ Pho Zaw from the Thayawady Prison and Saw Shandrat and Sai Thiha from the Taungoo Prison.
“I’m a teacher. I live in Kyaukyi Township. A child was injured in explosion in front of my house. For that case, I was accused of being guilty for that explosion, and was sentenced to twenty years imprisonment. Actually I need to live seven more years for the full sentence. I’m glad to be released unexpectedly. But there are some political prisoners in the prison. So I can’t be happy very much,” said Saw Shandrat.
“I was sentenced to six years in jail for the explosion case. I’ll be released in 2016 in the actual sentence. I’m glad now. There are still five political prisoners in the prison building I lived,” Sai Tin Win said.
The new government has announced amnesty orders for total of ten times within its two years administration. Political prisoners were discharged in nine out of ten. Every amnesty was seen to be coincident with some political movements.
In fact, the first amnesty was on May 16, 2011 while Myanmar was trying to be the chairman of the ASEAN. October 11, 2011 amnesty was prior to the arrival of the representative group to study whether Myanmar government deserved to be the ASEAN chairman. January 2, 2012 amnesty was before the honouring ceremony of the 64th Independence Day. January 13, 2012, in which many famous prisoners of conscience were released, was after the historic visit of Hilary Clinton, the secretary of state of US.
Likewise, other amnesties were granted before the president attended the United Nations General Assembly, before the American president visited Myanmar, before the 22nd ASEAN Summit and this time is before the president’s visit to the US.
Myanmar government has been criticized as using political prisoners as tools for its episodic releasing them to get the political gain. The international community seriously condemned the military junta for detaining of political prisoners.
“Myanmar President doesn’t use political prisoners as tools; his strong determination is all inclusive political process. That’s all,” Zaw Htay, director of the President’s Office, said on his Facebook on May 17 evening.
There are over 1500 political prisoners still remained in prisons according to the lists (deaths and released ones included in the lists) reported from various organizations to the Examination Committee for Remaining Political Prisoners.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, 165 political prisoners are still in jail and over a hundred of people are being prosecuted for political activities.
You must be logged in to post a comment.