More good news from Burma

According to Irrawaddy.com, as many as 200 prisoners were released Friday in Burma under a new presidential pardon. Among the prisoners released was would-be Get On The Bus 2012 priority action U Khun Htun Oo, whose case was adopted by Group 133 last year.

Pro-democracy activist Htay Kywe was among those released from prison yesterday in Burma.

From Irrawaddy.com (full story here):

Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi, Htay Kywe, Mya Aye and Nilar Thein are among 650 prisoners released on Friday under a new presidential pardon. 

Family members of political prisoners told The Irrawaddy on Friday that they were informed by the authorities that their relatives are on the list of freed prisoners. It was also reported that former Burma spy chief Khin Nyunt and intelligent official ex-Col San Pwint have also been released, as were ethnic political prisoners including Hkun Htun Oo and prominent Buddhist monk U Gambira, who was an organizer of the 2007 'Saffron Revolution.” Journalists including Zaw Thet Htwe were also freed. 

Speaking with The Irrawaddy on Friday from outside Thayawady prison, Nilar Thein, said, “I’m happy, and I will be very happy to see my family. We will get involved in democratic reform with Auntie [Aung San Suu Kyi].” 

“The reforms introduced by President Thein Sein and Auntie Suu are what we have so long been waiting for. But we have to work harder for the remaining colleagues who are still in prison. If all of them are released, that will be a beautiful image for all of us,” she said. 

[...] 

Amnesties under the new government that freed more than 27,000 convicts since last May were disappointing as they included only 200 or so political detainees. The current estimate of political prisoners ranges from about 600 to 1,500, though the government insists no one falls into the category because they are simply criminal convicts. 

The government TV announcement read on Thursday: “For the sake of state peace and stability, national consolidation and to enable everyone to participate in political process and on humanitarian grounds, the government will grant amnesty to 651 prisoners so that they can take part in nation building.”  

More coverage on Amnesty International USA:

But as more than a thousand political prisoners may remain behind bars, many of whom are prisoners of conscience, the amnesty must continue until all are freed according to Amnesty International.  

"This release of political prisoners is a major step forward, but more must be released," said T. Kumar, Amnesty International USA's director of international advocacy. There were high expectations that all political prisoners would be released following Secretary Hillary Clinton's landmark visit to Myanmar in December 2011. Yet, more than a month has passed, and there may be more than one thousand political prisoners still in custody. Secretary Clinton should insist that all prisoners of conscience be released immediately and urge the Burmese authorities to lift any conditions attached to the released prisoners."

NYT coverage of Burma

See the New York Times front page article here.

Ma Khin Khin Leh is Now Free!

After almost a decade in prison, Burmese prisoner of conscience Ma Khin Khin Leh was released by the Myanmar authorities last Saturday, February 21st. Since 1999, Ma Khin Khin Leh, a school teacher, had been imprisoned due to her family’s pro-democracy work. She and her husband, Kyaw Wunna, were organizing a peaceful demonstration in Bago. Days before the planned demonstration, authorities came to arrest her husband. While Kyaw Wunna was not there, authorities did find Ma Khin Khin Leh and the couple's three-year old daughter, Thaint Whunna Khin. Ma Khin Khin Leh and her daughter both were arrested. Thaint Whunna Khin was held for five days, and became the one of the world’s youngest political prisoners. Ma Khin Khin Leh was given a life sentence, and served almost 10 years before her release last week.

Ma Khin Khin Leh, along with Aung San Suu Kyi and U Win Tin, was featured in last year’s Get on the Bus action. Since Get on the Bus 2008, both Ma Khin Khin Leh and U Win Tin, Myanmar’s longest held prisoner of conscience, have been released. Unfortunately, Aung San Suu Kyi, the nation’s democratically elected leader, remains under house arrest.

Thank you for all of your work to help free Ma Khin Khin Leh. Now that she is free, let’s use our powerful energy to call for the unconditional release of Aung San Suu Kyi and the estimated 2,100 remaining political prisoners in Myanmar!

Please go to http://www.amnestyusa.org/individuals-at-risk/priority-cases/aung-san-suu-kyi-and-ma-khin-khin-leh/page.do?id=1101239 for more details about Ma Khin Khin Leh and Aung San Suu Kyi.