US embassy cable - 05RANGOON799

UNCLAS RANGOON 000799 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, DRL; PACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PREL, BM, NLD, Human Rights 
SUBJECT: BURMA: NLD VERIFIES POLITICAL PRISONER RELEASES 
 
REF: A. RANGOON 21 
     B. RANGOON 10 
     C. 04 RANGOON 1571 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On July 6 the GOB implemented another 
prisoner release.  National League for Democracy (NLD) 
sources say up to 410 prisoners were released from 11 prisons 
around the country.  The NLD has reported 260 political 
prisoners among the released, though we can verify only 114 
names.  The political prisoners include NLD members, Buddhist 
monks, and some Karen National Union (KNU) members.  NLD 
MP-elect, U Sein Hla Oo, is believed to be the most prominent 
prisoner released so far.  An embassy employee interviewed 
two NLD political prisoners who were released this week and 
found one of them in poor condition.  Embassy employees 
waited outside Insein Jail in Rangoon on July 7, but did not 
notice any unusual activity.  Burma may be attempting to set 
itself up to become the next ASEAN chair.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (SBU) On July 6, GOB authorities quietly released 
prisoners from at least 11 prisons all over Burma.  According 
to NLD sources, 410 prisoners were released.  Of these, 260 
are reported to be political prisoners with nearly half of 
them being released from Insein Prison in Rangoon.  However, 
the NLD has so far only been able to list the names of 114 
political prisoners who are known to be released, so further 
verification is needed. 
 
3. (U) The released political prisoners include NLD members, 
Buddhist monks, and KNU members.  The most prominent 
political prisoner released so far is U Sein Hla Oo, an NLD 
MP-elect from Insein Constituency.  He was a key NLD 
strategist before he was arrested eleven years ago in 1994. 
Though initially sentenced to seven years imprisonment, his 
sentence was extended by four years in 2001. 
 
4. (SBU) An Embassy employee met two NLD political prisoners 
who were released on July 5 from Thayet Prison in central 
Burma.  They had no clue they were to be released until they 
received orders that morning to pack their personal effects. 
One of them appeared to be very thin and frail.  Another 
released prisoner reports that he did not have to agree with 
any "conditions" for release, but they were read out to him. 
He was informed that he was being released under the Penal 
Code 401, Section 2, dealing with "remission of sentences." 
 
5. (SBU) Poloff and an FSN waited around Insein Prison's main 
gate for an hour on the morning of July 7, but did not notice 
any unusual activity.  There were no large crowds of 
relatives, but there were a few media stringers and an FSN 
from another embassy sitting in a tea stall across the street 
watching for developments. 
 
6. (SBU) COMMENT: Why now?  It is not possible to know for 
sure, and the GOB has not made any official announcement 
about the prisoner releases.  However, the fact that the 
ASEAN summit meeting takes place in Vientiane, Laos in two 
weeks is not lost on the NLD and other observers in Rangoon. 
With Burma slated to take over the ASEAN chair next year, the 
SPDC is under pressure to make a decision this month on 
whether to take its rotation or not.  The release of 
prisoners, a high percentage of whom are political prisoners, 
may be a GOB attempt to "come clean" by demonstrating that it 
is moving "step-by-step" toward democracy and thereby enable 
its fellow ASEAN members "in good conscience" to let Burma 
assume its scheduled rotation as the next ASEAN chair.  END 
COMMENT. 
Martinez