Release of Mon political prisoners with a restriction

Independent Mon News Agency

June 19, 2004

The Burmese military government released the leaders  of Mon National
Democratic Front with a suspension that they released them in early time and they
would be imprisoned again if they against the regime, said Dr. Min Kyi Win, a
MNDF’s MP who released recently.

“Our imprisonment term still remained for one and half year.    On June 3, the
Ministry of Home Affairs sent us a contract or a document that if we
want to be released we had to sign it,” Dr. Win added.

“In the contract, if we will do something wrong again (especially
against the regime) we will be imprisoned with new case, the years of imprisonment
will be added,” Dr. Win said.   He tried to say that they will add one and half
year to new imprisonment if they committed another activity against the
government.

“We signed that agreement contract that was already signed by the
Minister ofInterior Ministry and then they we released us,” said Dr. Win.   “I
thought,they released us because of they have some pressure,” he said.

Dr. Win added he was not sure who gave pressure to the military
government to release them.   .

“There are some political prisoners such Dr. Maung Maung Kyaw’s group
who were sentenced with a statement about All Burma’s Student Union inside Burma
are still released”, said Dr. Win.   He also added that the regime does not
released the political prisoners even their imprisonment time is ended.

“There are about 100 political prisoners in Mawlamyine (or Moulmein)
prison and they do not get any pardon from a prison sentence,” said Dr. Win.

The government feed the prisoners with bad foods in prisons such as raw
unpolished rice with expired bean.   Some international NGOs such as
UNICEF, MSF (Medicines Sans Front) and ICRC (International Committee for the
Red Cross) paid visits to them added by Dr. Win.

Three Mon political prisoners, Mr. Nai Ngwe Thein, the patron of MNDF;
Dr. Min Soe Lin, General Secretary of MNDF; and Dr. Min Kyi Win, Joint
Secretary of MNDF were arrested in 1998 with accusation of disturbing the New Mon
State Party’s ceasefire.

For more information contact to Independent Mon News Agency,
[email protected], [email protected]
See: www.monnews-imna.com