US embassy cable - 05RANGOON345

UNCLAS RANGOON 000345 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV; PACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, BM, Human Rights, NLD 
SUBJECT: BURMA: THE POLITICAL PRISONER REVOLVING DOOR 
 
REF: RANGOON 1549 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: The GOB has released prominent political 
prisoner Ko Ko Gyi.  However, authorities simultaneously 
arrested three democratic opposition MPs-elect.  The GOB 
relentlessly continues to arrest pro-democracy leaders who it 
fears might unite the Burmese opposition.  End Summary. 
 
2. (SBU) International media widely reported the release on 
March 17 of prominent political prisoner, Ko Ko Gyi, a former 
All Burma Federation of Students Union activist.  An Embassy 
employee spoke with a credible source who met Ko Ko Gyi 
following his release and said he is in decent physical shape 
and "excellent mental health." 
 
3. (SBU) Also on March 17 the police Special Branch (SB) 
re-arrested retired Lt Gen Kyaw Hsan, a 72-year-old NLD 
divisional leader and MP-elect from Sagaing Division, who had 
last been released from prison in November, 2004 (reftel).  U 
Lwin, NLD spokesperson, told an Embassy employee that Kyaw 
Hsan, who reportedly has close ties with Karen factions, was 
apparently arrested on the pretext that he had "illegally 
imported goods" stored on his compound and/or he had hosted 
"unregistered" guests at his Rangoon house. 
 
4. (SBU) Also on March 17 SB agents took into custody U Kyaw 
Min, a Rakhine MP-elect of the National Democratic Party for 
Human Rights and member of the Committee Representing the 
People's Parliament (CRPP).  (Note: U Kyaw Min is currently 
enrolled in the Global English course at the Embassy's 
American Center.  End Note.)  According to Embassy sources, 
SB agents thoroughly searched Kyaw Min's house and led him 
away under a black hood, a standard practice of the 
now-disbanded Military Intelligence.  On March 20, the police 
asked the family of U Kyaw Min to come and collect his 
personal effects, an indication that he has been imprisoned. 
 
5. (SBU) Comment: Including the arrest on February 25 of U 
Kyaw Khin, MP-elect from Taunggyi, three MPs-elect have been 
arrested in the past month.  While the GOB may release the 
odd political prisoner when it feels confident that the 
person has been effectively neutralized, it is still 
aggressively arresting pro-democracy MPs-elect, particularly 
those who it believes have leanings toward forming a parallel 
government or otherwise wish to unite the Burmese 
pro-democracy opposition.  End Comment. 
Martinez