NEW RELEASES

Myanmar’s military government freed seven members of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s pro-democracy party, including a party spokesman U Myint Thein on 30.10.2007. ahead of another visit by U.N. special envoy Ibrahim Gambari to Burma.

 

DEPORTATIONS

Junta deporting Monks: Buddhist Monks from Neighbouring countries who came to Burma for advanced studies in Theravada Buddhism are now started to being deported by Burmese military junta; especially those monks who are suspected to have supported or involved in last month’s monk led pro-democracy demonstrations.

 

RELEASES

Some NLD members released: On 26.10.2007, in the latest attempt to woo the world that they have been trying sincerely to get negotiations on track with main opposition party, military junta in Burma released on 26.10.2007 about 50 detained members of the National League for Democracy, the main pro-democracy party in Burma. Those released included NLD Central Executive Committee member U Hla Pe (81years).

 

A few Monks & Students released: On 26.10.2007, a few detained student activists and Monks were also released. A 76 years old Monk, U Tayzaw Bartha, who staged a solo protest in front of Rangoon City Hall in last August was also released

 

Old Political Prisoners Released: U Sein Kyaw, 82 years old, a member of the National League for Democracy, who was given a five years sentence recently by the junta in a closed door trial in western Burma, has been released on 20.10.2007. He said he was released because of his age. U Sein Kyaw also said he hoped that his party branch Chairman, U Kyaw Khine 85years old, who was given a similar sentence along with him at the same secret trial would also be released considering his age.

 

Pledge not to Protest: Almost everybody who has been released so far has to sign a pledge not to involve in any anti-government activities in the future.

 

Famous Actor & Comedian Released:

Famous comedian Zar Ganar and actor Kyaw Thu were released from detention on 17.10.2007 night. Kyaw Thu’s wife was also released. They were arrested for offering alms to pro-democracy demonstrating monks.

Comedian Zar Ganar was arrested on 26th September.

Kyaw Thu and his wife were hiding for a while since military started bloody crack down on demonstrators, and were arrested finally on 10th October.

Latest figures released by junta said that about 2500 detainees have been released so far.

The Burmese authorities screen detainees into four categories _ Passers-by, Those who watched, Those who clapped and Those who joined in. And those fall in the first, and probably the second, category are now being released gradually.

 

ARRESTS

Buddhist Monk jailed: A Buddhist monk U Eindarea, 26year, from Maungdaw Township in western part of Burma, who was arrested for taking part in recent Monk-led pro-democracy demonstrations has been disrobed and also given seven and a half years jail sentence on 17.10.2007, by a closed door trial set up by military junta in Burma.

 

Man-Hunting Going On: Burma’s military junta openly defied United Natios’ and International requests to stop cracking down on pro-democracy activists, on 17.10.200, by releasing an official statement on the front-page of junta mouthpiece New Light of Myanmar newspaper that military authorities were still hunting for demonstrators who took part in the recent uprising. “Those who led, got involved in and supported the unrest which broke out in September were called in and are being interrogated,” the junta said. “Some are still being called in for questioning and those who should be released will be.”

Junta also announced that about 3,000 pro-democracy activists have been detained. But critics and Burma analysts said that any official figure of arrests and deaths announced by junta needs to be multiplied by a factor of THREE at least to get a correct figure.

 

Long Jail Sentences: Defying UN and international pressures, Burmese junta has handed down long jail sentences to five activists from Burma’s main pro-democracy party, the National League for Democracy, in a closed-door trial in Western Burma. Judges in Burma have to strictly carry out military junta’s orders. One of these five activists who got long sentences is 85 years old, relatives of prisoners said.

 

NLD’s Request: Following UN envoy Mr. Gambari’s denunciation, on 15.10.2007, on continuation of arrests and detention and ill-treatment of political activists in Burma, the National League for Democracy urged junta to release political prisoners and to stop torturing them during detention.

 

Fleeing to Border Area: After four more leading activists who had been hiding were captured by junta’s secret police, now other activists who also have been on the run are heading towards Thai-Burma border to escape junta’s capture.

 

One of the leaders of the respected 8888 generation student activists, Ko Htay Kywe, who was on the run, has been arrested on 13.10.2007, along with three other prominent activists, Aung Htoo, Thin Thin Aye (a) Mie Mie and Ko Ko.

Amnesty International believes that these high-profile opposition figures are at grave risk of torture and mistreatment.

 

Blindness of Prisoner: Amnesty International reported that Hla Myo Naung, a leading pro-democracy student activist who took part in the recent Monks led peaceful pro-democracy demonstrations, was arrested on 11.10.2007 at a Rangoon clinic while seeking treatment for a ruptured cornea. “Unless operated on soon, Hla Myo Naung may go blind in this eye,” Amnesty International said in a statement.

 

Death during Interrogation: The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) reported that authorities from Kyaukpandawn Township informed the family of Ko Win Shwe yesterday that he died while in interrogation. Ko Win Shwe, a 42 year old NLD member, and other 4 others were arrested on September 26, 2007 because of their active support and participation in the monks’ demonstration.

 

Dissident Generals Detained: Latest reports said that junta has detained five generals who refused to deploy their troops against the monks during recent bloody crack downs by junta on peaceful pro-democracy demonstrations led by Monks. And more than 400 soldiers in Sagaing and Mandalay, who put down their guns in front of the monks instead of shooting the monks, were also detained for military disobedience.

 

Long prison sentences: Junta mouthpiece newspapers, on 09.10.2007, announced that they still held more than a thousand detainees, monks and devotees, and that those detainees will face long prison sentences. 

Unofficial sources estimate that about 2500 monks and more than 3,000 people have been arrested over the last week and this week, and people on the ground estimate the death toll of at least 200. Among the detainees are at least 15 elected people’s representatives and more than 200 members from NLD party, reports said. The spokesperson of NLD, U Nyan Win, said that since the latest crack down started at least 225 members of NLD party has been detained. Hundreds to thousands of NLD members are already in jail even before this latest crack down.

Burmese people who have worked or studied abroad and coming back to Burma arriving at Rangoon Airport are under scrutiny by Burmese secret police at the airport. Any suspected persons are detained and checked against secret police archive photos and videos of recent global demonstrations and protests around the world against brutalities of military regime in Burma.

Myanmar Junta have been arresting more and more people at midnights and very early hours of the mornings.

Rumours are swirling around that detainees’ families and many other families from some residential areas in Rangoon where demonstrations started are now to be deported from Rangoon to far away places.

Some monks, who actively took part in recent peaceful movements in Burma against military regime, have now to flee the country to avoid regime’s revenge, as soldiers are doing midnight raids everynight on monasteries and houses of any person suspected to have involved in the peaceful protests against the regime. Groups after groups of monks who fled through jungles are now starting to arrive at Thai-Burma border area.

Chinese authorities are also warning Buddhist Monasteries on China-Burma border region not to accept any Burmese Buddhist Monks fleeing junta’s arrest.

According to latest information, government officials in Burma have confessed that about 2100 activists, Monks and laymen, have been detained.

More arrests of Buddhist monks and cut-off communication between monks and local people have been reported in some areas including in Shan State and Mon State, in addition to Rangoon and Mandalay.

Military vehicles patrolled the streets before dawn with loudspeakers blaring that: “We have photographs. We are going to make arrests!”

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma), many of the detainees sustained injuries during the demonstrations, yet are not being provided proper medical attention. Detainees with pre-existing health conditions are denied access to necessary medications. All those being held are not given enough food or water, and many are kept in crowded facilities where the spread of disease is likely. The detainees are being subjected to physical torture such as beatings and being forced to stand in various positions for long periods of time.

About 1,974 monks and nuns currently detained in Inn Sein GTI (General Institute of Technology) will be transferred to Ka Baw Valley (a prison-like place) in Sagaing Division. At least eight truckloads of prisoners were hauled out of downtown Rangoon, the former Burma’s biggest city and center of last week’s monk-led protests against decades of military rule and deepening economic hardship, witnesses said.

Because of tight control by junta on flow of information, it is very difficult to get a complete list of detainees. The following are such on-going lists _

• List of Detained

• List of Disappeared

• List of Death

• List of Raided Monasteries can also be found on http://www.aappb.org/