US embassy cable - 05RANGOON10

UNCLAS RANGOON 000010 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, DRL 
COMMERCE FOR ITA JEAN KELLY 
USPACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, KDEM, BM, NLD, Human Rights 
SUBJECT: NEW BURMA PRISONER RELEASES: LOVING-KINDNESS AND 
GOODWILL 
 
REF: A. RANGOON 1647 AND PREVIOUS 
     B. RANGOON 1612 AND PREVIOUS 
 
1. (U) The GOB announced on January 2nd that it had released 
5,588 additional prisoners from jails around the country. 
The release announcement was scheduled to precede the January 
4th Independence Day holiday.  Unlike the three prior mass 
releases (ref B) in this case the government did not claim to 
be freeing those unjustly imprisoned by former Prime Minister 
Khin Nyunt's Military Intelligence (MI).  Instead, the 
announcement cited the SPDC's "loving-kindness and good will" 
and desire to rehabilitate prisoners who have exhibited good 
behavior. 
 
2. (SBU) Details are still sketchy about exactly how many 
prisoners are actually free, and the number of political 
prisoners included in the 5,588.  However, initial reports 
indicate that the following political prisoners (all listed 
in the December Amnesty International report) were among 
those freed on January 2nd or 3rd: 
 
-- Aung Myint (aka Pyapon Ni Lone Oo), a well-known poet and 
journalist arrested in 2000 for issuing a statement 
protesting the house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi and sentenced 
to 21 years. 
-- Kyaw Khin, an NLD MP-elect from Shan State arrested in 
1996 for allegedly having tapes of anti-government messages 
and sentenced to 10 years. 
-- Thein Dan, an NLD Divisional Executive Committee Member 
from Mandalay arrested in 1991 for writing an article 
criticizing the GOB's shooting of demonstrators and sentenced 
to 17 years. 
-- Myint Soe (aka Johnny, aka Kyaw Oo), an NLD Youth member 
from Rangoon arrested in 1990 for discussing the formation of 
a parallel government and sentenced to 17 years. 
 
The GOB also released Saw Tin Soe, a Karen National Union 
member from Karen State arrested in 1983 and sentenced to 
death (later changed to 25 years) for attempted hi-jacking. 
 
3. (SBU) The steady trickle of political prisoner releases 
over the last several months is a good thing.  However, the 
numbers remain very small considering nearly 1,400 such 
prisoners remain behind bars.  Furthermore, the releases pale 
a bit when examined in the context of ongoing arrests and 
harassment of NLD members (ref B) and the GOB's recent 
decision to further tighten the imprisonment conditions of 
NLD leaders Aung San Suu Kyi and U Tin Oo (ref A). 
MARTINEZ