Credit: By WAI MOE, The Irrawaddy News Magazine, January 29, 2010.
An imprisoned leader of the dissident 88 Generation Students group has called for a blanket amnesty for Burma's political prisoners before this year's election and an inclusive political process as two of the cornerstones of the group's election policy.
In a letter written by Hla Myo Naung from Mandalay Prison in October, he said that he had discussed the policies with other detained activists from the 88 Generation group in prison during their trial in 2008. He said in his letter that the activists had decided upon the two provisions after much discussion and heated argument.
Hla Myo Naung said that the issue of ethnic minorities was the main obstacle to the ruling junta announcing an electoral law.
“Unless the issue of the armed ethnic groups is resolved, there cannot be any party registration law [for the election],” he said in the letter, adding that, for the ruling generals, the ethnic issue is more critical than the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD)’s role in the election.
Hla Myo Naung’s wife, Aye Mar, told The Irrawaddy on Friday that she got the letter from her husband in October during a regular visit and that the letter was originally meant for his friend Thein Tin Aung, a pro-election campaigner in Rangoon, who had apparently requested Hla Myo Naung's opinion on the 88 Generation group's policy for the upcoming election.
“A few days after I delivered the letter to Ko Thein Tin Aung, two officials from the SB [special branch police] came to me and asked about the letter,” said Aye Mar. “They told me that their senior officials were considering the topics discussed in the letter.”
Commenting on the letter, a former colleague of the 88 activists, Bo Kyi, who is now joint-secretary of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners-Burma (AAPP), a human rights group based in Thailand, said that the letter was essentially Hla Myo Naung’s own opinion.
But he confirmed that calling for the release of political prisoners and an inclusive political process in the election is the policy of the 88 Generation Students group. “They agreed on those two demands while they were in Insein Prison,” he said.
There are currently at least 2,177 political prisoners in Burma’s prisons, according to AAPP’s latest report.
Prominent activists from the group who had been convicted for participating in the 1988 uprising, such as Min Ko Naing and Ko Ko Gyi, were released from prison in 2005. During their short period of relative freedom, the group's leaders reformed the strategy and policy of their movement.
Most of the 88 Generation leaders were then re-arrested on Aug.21, 2007, after they had led peaceful demonstrations two days earlier to protest the military government's unannounced fuel price hike that sparked mass demonstrations in September 2007.
Fourteen leading activists, including Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi, Phyoe Cho, Htay Kywe, Jimmy, Ant Bwe Kyaw and Hla Myo Naung, of the 88 Generation Students group were sentenced to 65-year jail terms for their participation in the non-violent protests. Four days after the verdict, in November that year, most of the detained activists were transferred to remote prisons hundreds of miles from their hometowns.
Min Ko Naing and Ko Ko Gyi were moved to two prisons in southern Shan State; Phyoe Cho was sent to Kaw Thaung Prison in southern Burma; and Htay Kywe was transferred to Buthidaung Prison in western Burma.
Hla Myo Naung was transferred Myitkyina Prison in Kachin State. However, he was transferred back to Mandalay Prison to get medical treatment for his eyes in 2009. Although the NLD is yet to say whether it would join the election, Hla Myo Naung said in his letter that Aung San Suu Kyi's party will take part.
An imprisoned leader of the dissident 88 Generation Students group has called for a blanket amnesty for Burma's political prisoners before this year's election and an inclusive political process as two of the cornerstones of the group's election policy.
In a letter written by Hla Myo Naung from Mandalay Prison in October, he said that he had discussed the policies with other detained activists from the 88 Generation group in prison during their trial in 2008. He said in his letter that the activists had decided upon the two provisions after much discussion and heated argument.
Hla Myo Naung said that the issue of ethnic minorities was the main obstacle to the ruling junta announcing an electoral law.
“Unless the issue of the armed ethnic groups is resolved, there cannot be any party registration law [for the election],” he said in the letter, adding that, for the ruling generals, the ethnic issue is more critical than the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD)’s role in the election.
Hla Myo Naung’s wife, Aye Mar, told The Irrawaddy on Friday that she got the letter from her husband in October during a regular visit and that the letter was originally meant for his friend Thein Tin Aung, a pro-election campaigner in Rangoon, who had apparently requested Hla Myo Naung's opinion on the 88 Generation group's policy for the upcoming election.
“A few days after I delivered the letter to Ko Thein Tin Aung, two officials from the SB [special branch police] came to me and asked about the letter,” said Aye Mar. “They told me that their senior officials were considering the topics discussed in the letter.”
Commenting on the letter, a former colleague of the 88 activists, Bo Kyi, who is now joint-secretary of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners-Burma (AAPP), a human rights group based in Thailand, said that the letter was essentially Hla Myo Naung’s own opinion.
But he confirmed that calling for the release of political prisoners and an inclusive political process in the election is the policy of the 88 Generation Students group. “They agreed on those two demands while they were in Insein Prison,” he said.
There are currently at least 2,177 political prisoners in Burma’s prisons, according to AAPP’s latest report.
Prominent activists from the group who had been convicted for participating in the 1988 uprising, such as Min Ko Naing and Ko Ko Gyi, were released from prison in 2005. During their short period of relative freedom, the group's leaders reformed the strategy and policy of their movement.
Most of the 88 Generation leaders were then re-arrested on Aug.21, 2007, after they had led peaceful demonstrations two days earlier to protest the military government's unannounced fuel price hike that sparked mass demonstrations in September 2007.
Fourteen leading activists, including Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi, Phyoe Cho, Htay Kywe, Jimmy, Ant Bwe Kyaw and Hla Myo Naung, of the 88 Generation Students group were sentenced to 65-year jail terms for their participation in the non-violent protests. Four days after the verdict, in November that year, most of the detained activists were transferred to remote prisons hundreds of miles from their hometowns.
Min Ko Naing and Ko Ko Gyi were moved to two prisons in southern Shan State; Phyoe Cho was sent to Kaw Thaung Prison in southern Burma; and Htay Kywe was transferred to Buthidaung Prison in western Burma.
Hla Myo Naung was transferred Myitkyina Prison in Kachin State. However, he was transferred back to Mandalay Prison to get medical treatment for his eyes in 2009. Although the NLD is yet to say whether it would join the election, Hla Myo Naung said in his letter that Aung San Suu Kyi's party will take part.
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