Freed Political Prisoners Call for Others’ Release

By Min Lwin

Three Burmese elected members of parliament who were released from prison on Tuesday have urged the junta to unconditionally release all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi.

Dr Than Nyein, Dr May Win Myint and Aung Soe Myint were released along with four other political prisoners: Win Tin, Khin Maung Swe, Aye Thein and Than Naing.

Than Nyein, May Win Myint and Aung Soe Myint were released from Prome, Insein and Thayet prisons respectively as part of an amnesty granted by the junta involving a small number of political prisoners and about 9,000 criminal prisoners.

“I don’t know whether they freed me conditionally or unconditionally,” Than Nyein told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday. “I didn’t sign any condition.”

After being transferred between prisons at least four times in 11 years, Than Nyein, in his early 70s, said while in prison he suffered from liver problems and swollen lymph nodes. He believes his health is generally good, however.

“I don’t know why they extended my imprisonment, but I know this is a political issue,” Than Nyein said. “I didn’t plead guilty so the government extended my imprisonment.”

As a student of Rangoon Institute of Medicine, Than Nyein was elected chairperson of the Medical Students Union and was involved the 1988 uprising. When the National League for Democracy was founded, he was elected vice-chairman of the Rangoon Division Organizing Committee.

Than Nyein was arrested in 1997 along with May Win Myint and six others following an attempt to hold a meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi and NLD youth in Mayangone Township in Rangoon.

“When I became involved the Burmese politics, I accepted that I would probably be jailed someday,” said Than Nyane.

He said he endured various conditions of imprisonment. “Some times the situation was terrible,” he said.

“We bear no grudge against the military,” he said. “We have no hate or desire to seek revenge on anyone.”

Than Nyein and May Win Myint, 58, completed their original seven-year prison sentence in 2004. Since then, they have been held without charge or trial, receiving repeated extended detention orders under Section 10(a) of the State Protection Act, an administrative detention law that allows the authorities to detain without charge or trial anyone who they believe may endanger the state.

Aung Soe Myint, an elected MP from Taungoo Township in Pegu Division, said Burma’s problems can’t be solved through the arrest of political activists and members of opposition party.

“Our party was not organized in hate or revenge,” he said, noting that he served more than five years in prison. “I don’t hate anybody.”

“No one should refuse dialogue,” he said. “It is important that we start to rebuild our country’s politics by cooperating one another.”

Aung Soe Myint was arrested by military intelligence agents in 2003 and sentenced to seven years in prison for “possessing a motorcycle without license.”

The three freed prisoners said they were ready to work with the NLD again following medical checkups.