SLORC TORTURED RIGHT ACTIVIST DIES

[moe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: SLORC TORTURED RIGHT ACTIVIST DIES IN PRISON

DATE=6/9/97
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-215468
TITLE=BURMA/DEATH (L ONLY)
BYLINE=GARY THOMAS
DATELINE=BANGKOK
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:    

INTRO:  A JAILED MEMBER OF THE PRO-DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT IN BURMA 
HAS DIED.  THE BURMESE GOVERNMENT SAYS HE DIED OF HEART DISEASE. 
AS CORRESPONDENT GARY THOMAS REPORTS FROM OUR SOUTHEAST ASIA 
BUREAU IN BANGKOK, NO ONE HAS CHALLENGED THE REPORTED CAUSE OF 
DEATH.

TEXT:  IN A STATEMENT RELEASED MONDAY, BURMESE MILITARY 
AUTHORITIES SAID A JAILED MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR 
DEMOCRACY, TIN SHWE, DIED OF HEART DISEASE AT THE RANGOON GENERAL
HOSPITAL.

THE GOVERNMENT SAID THE 67-YEAR-OLD TIN SHWE HAD BEEN IN POOR 
HEALTH AND HAD BEEN HOSPITALIZED TWICE IN THE PAST YEAR FOR HEART
TROUBLE.

THERE HAS BEEN NO STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR 
DEMOCRACY ON HIS DEATH.

TIN SHWE, WHO WAS FROM NORTHERN MANDALAY, WAS IMPRISONED IN 1991 
IN RANGOON FOR INSTIGATING CIVIL UNREST AND ATTEMPTING TO FORM A 
PARALLEL GOVERNMENT.  THE STATEMENT DID NOT SAY WHAT HIS SENTENCE
WAS, BUT SEVEN YEARS HAS BEEN THE USUAL TERM HANDED DOWN FOR 
POLITICAL OFFENSES IN BURMA.

THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT SAY WHERE HE HAD BEEN SERVING HIS 
SENTENCE, BUT MOST POLITICAL PRISONERS ARE BELIEVED TO BE HELD IN
INSEIN PRISON.  WESTERN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS HAVE LONG CRITICIZED 
WHAT THEY ALLEGE ARE INHUMANE CONDITIONS AT THE PRISON.

TIN SHWE WAS ONE OF THE MANY SUPPORTERS OF AUNG SAN SUU KYI AND 
HER NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR DEMOCRACY, WHO WERE ARRESTED AFTER THE 
1990 ELECTION.  THE LEAGUE OVERWHELMINGLY WON THAT ELECTION, BUT 
MILITARY AUTHORITIES THREW OUT THE RESULTS AND HAVE SINCE KEPT A 
TIGHT REIN ON POLITICAL DISSENT IN BURMA.

LAST MONTH, AUTHORITIES SUPPRESSED ATTEMPTS BY THE LEAGUE TO HOLD
A MEETING MARKING THEIR ELECTION VICTORY.  THE LEAGUE SAID 316 OF
ITS MEMBERS HAD BEEN DETAINED TO PREVENT THEIR ATTENDING, AND ALL
WERE LATER RELEASED.  THE GOVERNMENT CLAIMS NO ONE WAS DETAINED.

/// REST OPT ///  IN ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT, THE BURMESE GOVERNMENT 
SAYS IT HAS NO PLANS TO RESUME ITS MONTHLY NEWS CONFERENCES.  IN 
RESPONSE TO A QUESTION, A FAXED GOVERNMENT STATEMENT SAYS PRESS 
RELEASES CALLED -- INFORMATION SHEETS BY AUTHORITIES -- AND 
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS BY FAX, WILL REPLACE THE NEWS CONFERENCES 
FOR THE TIME BEING.

THE MONTHLY NEWS CONFERENCES, FOR WHICH WESTERN JOURNALISTS WERE 
GRANTED VISAS TO BURMA, WERE INSTITUTED LAST AUGUST AS PART OF A 
NEW INFORMATION POLICY.  BUT THEY WERE ABRUPTLY HALTED TWO-MONTHS
AGO.  DIPLOMATIC ANALYSTS SAY THE GOVERNMENT IS UPSET JOURNALISTS
USED THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW AUNG SAN SUU KYI.   (SIGNED)

NEB/GPT/SFT/FC/RAE