EBO
News Summary:
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AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PRESS RELEASE
AI Index: ASA 16/013/2003 (Public)
News Service No: 075
Myanmar: Limited human rights improvements -- serious
concerns persist
Almost two months after its first-ever visit to
welcomed
some limited improvements in the human rights situation, but at the
same
time expressed disappointment that other urgent steps have not yet been
taken
by the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), the military government.
The SPDC has told the organization that political prisoners now have
access
to
reading materials and social contact, which are positive developments. However
over
1200 political prisoners are still held in prisons throughout the country, and
the
pace of releases has decreased considerably in the last four months.
"We welcome our ongoing dialogue with the SPDC and look forward to future
visits
to
we
are disappointed that the SPDC has not released prisoners who are ill, elderly,
or
are imprisoned with their young children," Amnesty International said
today.
"During our visit, we submitted a number of lists of political prisoners,
whose
releases
should be a first priority for the SPDC. Yet to our knowledge none of
these
people have been released," the organization added.
People on the lists include imprisoned members of parliament-elect; people who
should
be released on humanitarian grounds; and those held under
the
administrative detention provisions of the 1975 State Protection Act.
Among those whom Amnesty International asked to be released as a matter
of
urgency is U Htwe Myint, a 73-year-old prisoner of
conscience with multiple
health
problems; and Ma San San Maw, a prisoner of
conscience held at Insein
Prison with her 19 month old child.
At the time of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's release in May
2002 the SPDC publicly
renewed
its commitment to release political prisoners. They had begun to release
political
prisoners in January 2001, and hundreds have subsequently been freed,
including
a group freed in mid March 2003.
However many of them were not released unconditionally, and since July 2002
arrests
of people for their peaceful political activities have begun again. Amnesty
International has recently submitted a list of 27 such people to the
SPDC,
and
is seeking further information about them.
At this time Amnesty International renews its call for the SPDC to release
all
prisoners of conscience immediately and unconditionally.
For more information please call Amnesty International's press office in
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