Narinjara News


Newly released Arakanese Politicians ostracized

Mrauk-u, 22^nd May 03:  Three prominent Arakanese politicians in the western Burmese state of Rakhine who have been recently released from prison have been reportedly ostracized by the intelligence agents of the ruling State Peace and Development junta of Burma, according to family sources.

The three are members of the Arakan League for Democracy (ALD), Mrauk-u Township branch, and they suffered three years imprisonment each for involvement in political activities as active members of the party since 2000.  One of the released political prisoners, U Shwe Saw Oo, 53, is the general secretary of the township branch of the ALD, and U Tha Tun Aye, 50, is the joint secretary of the same.  U Khin Maung Gyi, 58, is an active member of the party.

The three were released in the second week of April from Sittwe prison in the capital of Rakhine State. 

A prominent leader of the ALD (Exile) said that the released political prisoners are kept under close scrutiny of the military intelligence and those who communicate with them are regularly given warnings for ‘dire consequences’, and in many cases the relatives of them who are government employees are harassed and in many cases discharged from office without any prior warning.   For this reason the politicians recently released have to face harassment in the public in various ways and even shunned from many social functions.  This has resulted in systematic and regular harassment campaign against the politicians, making their life insecure, guilt-stricken and without means of survival. 

In 1990 general elections whose results were never honoured by the ruling Burmese junta, ALD won eleven out of the twenty-six parliamentary seats in Rakhine State and was banned shortly after the elections.  #