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Reuters-Jailed Briton in one-week h



Subject: Reuters-Jailed Briton in one-week hunger strike in Myanmar 

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Jailed Briton in one-week hunger strike in Myanmar=20
11:13 p.m. Jan 06, 2000 Eastern=20
BANGKOK, Jan 7 (Reuters) - A British pro-democracy activist jailed for =
17 years in Myanmar staged a week-long hunger strike before Christmas to =
protest against the jailing of dissidents, activist and diplomatic =
sources said on Friday.=20

A British consular official visited 26-year-old James Mawdsley on =
December 22, the last day of his hunger strike in jail in the =
northeastern town of Kengtung.=20

``He was on a hunger strike before Christmas,'' said a British diplomat =
in Yangon. ``He's fine now. He'a lost some weight, but he wasn't ill.''=20

The All Burma Students' Democratic Front, a dissident exile group based =
on the Thai-Myanmar border, said Mawdsley took only water during the =
hunger strike.=20

It said he staged the protest against the imprisonment of Min Ko Naign, =
a student dissident who was one of the leaders of Myanmar's 1988 =
uprising for democracy.=20

The ruling military took direct power that year by killing thousands to =
crush nationwide protests and has since tried to stamp out dissent =
through arrests and intimidation.=20

Diplomats and dissidents say the authorities are holding hundreds of =
political prisoners, including many members of the National League for =
Democracy, which won Myanmar's last election in 1990 but has been =
prevented from governing by the military.=20

Mawdsley, a Briton from Lancashire who also holds an Australian =
passport, was jailed after illegally entering Myanmar in September to =
distribute pro-democracy leaflets. It was his third arrest for activism =
in the country in two years.=20

Last year, after release from 99 days in Yangon's notorious Insein Jail, =
he reported being beaten with bamboo poles, having staves rolled down =
his shins and being deprived of water.=20

However his mother told Reuters last month after visiting him in late =
November that he had not been tortured while serving this term.=20





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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT color=3D#800000><FONT =
size=3D+1><STRONG>Jailed=20
Briton in one-week hunger strike in Myanmar</STRONG></FONT> =
<BR></FONT>11:13=20
p.m. Jan 06, 2000 Eastern=20
<P>BANGKOK, Jan 7 (Reuters) - A British pro-democracy activist jailed =
for 17=20
years in Myanmar staged a week-long hunger strike before Christmas to =
protest=20
against the jailing of dissidents, activist and diplomatic sources said =
on=20
Friday.=20
<P>A British consular official visited 26-year-old James Mawdsley on =
December=20
22, the last day of his hunger strike in jail in the northeastern town =
of=20
Kengtung.=20
<P>``He was on a hunger strike before Christmas,'' said a British =
diplomat in=20
Yangon. ``He's fine now. He'a lost some weight, but he wasn't ill.''=20
<P>The All Burma Students' Democratic Front, a dissident exile group =
based on=20
the Thai-Myanmar border, said Mawdsley took only water during the hunger =
strike.=20

<P>It said he staged the protest against the imprisonment of Min Ko =
Naign, a=20
student dissident who was one of the leaders of Myanmar's 1988 uprising =
for=20
democracy.=20
<P>The ruling military took direct power that year by killing thousands =
to crush=20
nationwide protests and has since tried to stamp out dissent through =
arrests and=20
intimidation.=20
<P>Diplomats and dissidents say the authorities are holding hundreds of=20
political prisoners, including many members of the National League for=20
Democracy, which won Myanmar's last election in 1990 but has been =
prevented from=20
governing by the military.=20
<P>Mawdsley, a Briton from Lancashire who also holds an Australian =
passport, was=20
jailed after illegally entering Myanmar in September to distribute =
pro-democracy=20
leaflets. It was his third arrest for activism in the country in two =
years.=20
<P>Last year, after release from 99 days in Yangon's notorious Insein =
Jail, he=20
reported being beaten with bamboo poles, having staves rolled down his =
shins and=20
being deprived of water.=20
<P>However his mother told Reuters last month after visiting him in late =

November that he had not been tortured while serving this term.=20
<P><BR></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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