'Arrest-spree' by Burmese junta of NLD members in Mandalay and Tennasserim Division continues
Asian Tribune
2 January 2004
Assistance Association for Political Prisoners- Burma (AAPP) states in a press release that recently members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) were arrested in Mandalay and Tennasserim.
According to AAPP statement, on December 22, the military Government of Burma arrested NLD members namely a few - Tin Myint (female), Hninn Pa Pa (female), Hla Soe, Hla Oo, Myint Oo, Thaung Win, Aung Aung and Kyi Win of Mandalay Division.
In addition, although several other members were recently released from prison, they were rearrested again d and sent back to the penitentiary. They were also the victims of the attack on May 30, 2003 in Depayin, Sagaing Division before their arrest.
Early last month, Nyi Soe of Tha Yet Chung township, Tennasserim Division and Aung Min of Pu Law township, Tennasserim Division were arrested by the order of Captain Tin Maung Win of Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) No 262. They were apprehended for participation in progressive political activities. They are currently detained in Kaw Thaung prison. Further more, they are frequently being used as guides in LIB 262's military operations.
In mid December, Than Soe (female, 35 years old) of Laung Lon Township, Nyi Nyi Lay (20 years old) of Tha Yet Chaung Township and Phoe Pe (19 years old) of Tha Yet Chaung Township, NLD members of Tennasserim Division were arrested.
The reasons of their arrests are not available. These repeated arrests are followed by visits of human rights officers of United Nations and Amnesty International (AI), who visited Burma in recently.
On December 22, NLD members in Mandalay were also held in custody. Amnesty International issued a statement outlining a series of serious concerns substantiated during their visit to Burma, and called on the Burmese authorities to, "take urgent steps to improve the human rights situation which has deteriorated significantly since the violent May 30 attack on the National League for Democracy (NLD)."
Tate Naing, secretary of Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) stated that, "The arrests of NLD members inside Burma after the violent attack on May 30 are still continuing. As the arrests continues inside Burma, we denounce the military government that usually talks about rebuilding democracy in Burma."
Presently, in Burma, there are about 1500 political prisoners including the house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi.
