US embassy cable - 04RANGOON892

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000892 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, DRL 
COMMERCE FOR ITA JEAN KELLY 
TREASURY FOR OASIA JEFF NEIL 
USPACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/13/2014 
TAGS: PINS, PGOV, PHUM, BM, Human Rights, NLD 
SUBJECT: GOB PRISONER RELEASES: LESS THAN MEETS THE EYE 
 
REF: A. RANGOON 815 
     B. RANGOON 535 AND PREVIOUS (NOTAL) 
 
Classified By: COM Carmen Martinez for Reasons 1.4 (B,D) 
 
1. (C) Summary: GOB claims of significant releases of 
political prisoners in 2004 are a bit misleading.  While many 
have been freed this year, most are those who have been 
picked up and then quickly released without charge, or those 
who were arrested following last May's attack on ASSK's 
convoy but never charged.  Aside from these "revolving door" 
releases, and despite continued international pressure, only 
13 of the 1,300 long-term political prisoners in Burma have 
been freed this year -- a pace far slower than 2003's release 
rate.  End summary. 
 
Some Real Releases, Most are "Revolving Door" 
 
2. (C) According to opposition sources, the GOB recently 
released three long-term political prisoners before 
completion of their sentences.  The three, U Thar Ban, Dr. 
Maung Maung Kyaw, and Ma Su, were sentenced to seven years 
imprisonment in 1998 for assisting in the compilation of a 
seven-volume history of the Burmese student movement. 
Student groups in Burma, especially the Rangoon University 
student union, have always been a font of anti-government 
activity.  A fourth person, U Min Thu, also sentenced for 
this "crime" died in prison on June 12 after a long illness. 
 
3. (SBU) So far in 2004 there has been a relatively steady 
trickle of press reports or GOB press statements trumpeting 
releases of political prisoners.  Of the 24 pro-democracy 
activists arrested so far this year for handing out pamphlets 
or other such offenses, 22 have been released.  Only U Tin 
Myint (an NLD lawyer) and Ma Than Than Htay (an NLD 
organizer) have not been released and are likely to end up 
with long prison sentences for their alleged contacts with 
the Federation of Trade Unions of Burma (FTUB), an exile 
group in Thailand that has been branded a terrorist 
organization by the regime (ref A).  The GOB also released 
around 50 NLD political prisoners who were arrested, but 
never charged, following the GOB ambush of Aung San Suu Kyi's 
(ASSK) convoy near Depeyin on May 30, 2003.  These 50 were 
not part of the "official" NLD and UN list of 153 arrested at 
Depeyin -- all of whom have been subsequently released save 
ASSK and NLD Vice Chairman U Tin Oo (ref B). 
 
4. (C) The GOB is trying to take credit for releasing 
political prisoners by counting "revolving door" releases of 
those picked up recently but not charged, and those held 
without charge following a post-May 30 sweep.  Looking only 
at long-term, non-Depeyin, prisoners, our count shows the GOB 
can only take credit so far this year for 13 releases.  Most 
of those released had either served out their sentences or 
were very close to finishing them.  In addition to U Thar 
Ban, Dr. Maung Maung Kyaw, and Ma Su, long-term political 
prisoners released to date in 2004 were: 
 
- Myint Naing: sentenced to 25 years in 1991, later reduced 
to ten years.  He served the full ten years. 
- Tin Tun: a champion boxer sentenced in 1993 to 20 years. 
- Soe Tun: a Rangoon Technical Institute student arrested 
1996. 
- Tin Aye: a lawyer sentenced in 1998 to seven years 
- Wa-ben Soe: ill with cancer. 
- Khin Cho Myint: served 10 years. 
- Kyaw Kyaw: arrested 1999. 
- Ne Oo Maung Maung: arrested 1999. 
- Min Min Soe: arrested 1999. 
- Myint Oo: arrested 1999. 
 
Comment: A Slow Pace 
 
5. (C) Despite its propaganda, and defiant of continuous USG 
and UN pressure to release political prisoners, the GOB has 
freed only 13 of the more than 1,300 long-term political 
prisoners in 2004.  This pace is far slower than 2003, when 
the GOB released more than 100 long-term political prisoners. 
 It is reflective of the regime's regressive policies in 
general toward political opponents occurring, ironically, 
alongside the steady march down the GOB's much trumpeted 
"Road Map to Democracy."  End comment. 
Martinez