US embassy cable - 05RANGOON406

UNCLAS RANGOON 000406 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, DRL 
USPACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PINS, PGOV, BM, Human Rights, NLD 
SUBJECT: BURMA: POLICE ARREST A FIFTH MP-ELECT 
 
REF: A. RANGOON 366 
     B. RANGOON 345 AND PREVIOUS (NOTAL) 
     C. RANGOON 332 AND PREVIOUS 
 
1. (SBU) According to the NLD Central Executive Committee 
(CEC), the police arrested U Saw Hlaing, a MP-elect from 
Indaw, Sagaing Division, on March 30.  He had just returned 
to his home district after MC'ing the NLD's "Resistance Day" 
observance on March 27 (ref A).  According to the CEC, 
authorities sent U Saw Hlaing immediately to Katha prison in 
the remote reaches of northern Sagaing.  It is not entirely 
clear what he is being charged with.  However, NLD sources 
assume that the confiscation of his personal computer 
indicates a charge under the Press Act or Printing and 
Publishing Act -- both aimed at censoring publications and 
both carrying prison sentences.  In reality, though, his 
arrest likely stems from U Saw Hlaing's increasing activism 
and close ties with the NLD's youth movement (he is in his 
mid 40s, contrasted with the octogenarian CEC members). 
 
2. (SBU) U Saw Hlaing, previously arrested and released 
following the GOB's attack on Aung San Suu Kyi in May 2003, 
is the fifth MP-elect arrested in 2005 (ref B).  His 
detention is yet another illustration of the GOB's newly 
invigorated strategy of rounding up the most active members 
of the various opposition groups (ref C), while releasing a 
small handful of political prisoners it sees as no further 
threat. 
Martinez