Media Release From Assistance Association for Political Prisoners
Information Release – for immediate release
12 June 2009

[Mae Sot, Thailand]  Five political prisoners in Rangoon’s Insein prison have been held in punishment cells [military dog cells] and banned from receiving family visits since 11 May 2009, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) has learned.  The reason for their punishment is unknown.

They are U Naing Naing (National League for Democracy Member of Parliament), U Soe Han (NLD member and lawyer), Aung Naing (NLD member), Lwin Ko Latt (student and member of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions), and U Sandimar (senior abbot monk).

U Naing Naing is suffering from a hernia and also hypertension.  U Soe Han has eye problems. Their families have been banned from visiting, and have been unable to provide them with essential medicines.  The families are now very worried for the health of their loved ones.

Due to inadequate healthcare provision in Burma’s prisons, political prisoners rely on their family members to bring them medicines and other essential items.  The ruling military regime has prevented the International Committee of the Red Cross from conducting prison visits since November 2005.

Security in Insein prison is currently very tight, due to the ongoing trial of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, her two live-in party members Daw Khin Khin Win and Daw Win Ma Ma, and US citizen John William Yettaw.

Background on their cases:

NLD MP U Naing Naing aka Saw Naing Naing was arrested on 14 September 2000.  He was charged with Section 5(j) of the 1950 Emergency Provisions Act, and Section 17/20 of the 1962 Printers and Publishers Registration Act.  He was sentenced to 21 years imprisonment.

NLD member and lawyer U Soe Han was arrested on 14 September 2000.  He was also charged with Section

5(j) of the 1950 Emergency Provisions Act, and Section 17/20 of the 1962 Printers and Publishers Registration Act, and sentenced to 21 years imprisonment.

NLD member Aung Naing was arrested on 11 June 2005.  The charges against him are unknown, but he was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.

Student and ABFSU member Lwin Ko Latt was arrested on 26 September 2003. He was charged with Section 5(j) of the 1950 Emergency Provisions Act and Section 17/1 of the 1908 Unlawful Association Act.  He was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.

U Sandimar, a monk and senior abbot from Kyar monastery, PazundaungTownship, Rangoon, was arrested on 7 September 2007.  He was charged with Sections 17/1 and 17/2 of the 1908 Unlawful Association Act and Sections 5 and 6 of the 1988 Law Relating to the Forming of Organisations (State Law and Order Restoration Council Law No. 6/88 30 September 1988).  On 14 November 2008he was sentenced to 8 years imprisonment.

-ENDS-

For further information, please contact:

Ko Tate,

AAPP, Secretary, + 66 (0) 81-2878751

Bo Kyi, AAPP

Joint-Secretary, +66(0)81-3248935

*** HRW Media Advisory ***

Burma: Free Political Prisoners

(New York, June 11, 2009) – Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, released a video message today calling on Burma’s rulers to free the detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners. Human Rights Watch is part of the online campaign “64 Words for Aung San Suu Kyi” (www.64forsuu.com), which calls for her release from the notorious Insein prison ahead of her 64th birthday on June 19, 2009. On June 12, her trial on politically motivated charges is due to resume in Rangoon.

“Aung San Suu Kyi has been a symbol of freedom for the Burmese people and a guiding light for the human rights struggle worldwide,” Roth said in the video statement. “Human Rights Watch will continue to pressure Burma’s military leaders to release Aung San Suu Kyi as well as all other political prisoners, such as the comedian Zargana, the protest organizer Su Su Nway, and the activist monk, U Gambira.”

To view the video message, please visit:

http://www.64forsuu.org/word.php?wid=7873

For more Human Rights Watch reporting on Burma’s political prisoners, please see:

“Burma: Free Aung San Suu Kyi,” May 2009 news release: http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/05/14/burma-free-aung-san-suu-kyi

“Burma: One Year After Cyclone, Repression Continues,” April 2009 news release: http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/04/30/burma-one-year-after-cyclone-repression-continues

For more information, please contact:

In New York, Elaine Pearson: +1-212-216-1213; or +1-646-291-7169 (mobile)

In Washington, DC, Tom Malinowski: +1-202-612-4358; or + 1-202-309-3551 (mobile)

In London, Brad Adams: +44-20-7713-2767; or +44-790-872-8333 (mobile)