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During 1988’s events was vicechairman of the ‘Sarpay Thamagga’
(‘Writers’ Association’). Recipient of the World Association of
Newspapers (WAN) 2001 Golden Pen of Freedom award, and the 2001
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation
(UNESCO)/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. Place of
detention: Insein prison. Health Concerns: Reported in March 2006 to
require treatment for high blood pressure and inflammation of the
prostate. Also suffers from spondylitis, an inflammation of the vertebrae,
and diabetes, and suffered two heart attacks during his 16-year imprisonment.
Has lost several teeth and requires dental treatment. Said to be
checked twice a month by a prison doctor but not provided with any
required medication. Is dependent on his family for medicine and meat.
Treatment in Prison: Reported that in November 1995 Win Tin was
among a number of prisoners ill treated after they smuggled letters out to
the UN protesting at prison conditions. He is entitled to a twice-monthly
visit from a relative for 20-25 minutes. Since the start of 2006 he has not
been able to receive visits from the International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC). Honorary Member of: Hong Kong (English), New
Zealand and Japan PEN centres.
U AYE Kyu (aka ‘Monywa’ Aung Shin)
Profession: Former newspaper editor and poet. Senior official of the
National League for Democracy (NLD). Date of arrest: September
2000. Sentence: 21 years in prison. Expires: September 2021 Details of
arrest: Among five senior NLD officials (including former PEN main
case Aung Myint, released under amnesty in January 2005) to be arrested
in September 2000. They were detained for writing a statement that was
to be sent to the authorities protesting the September 2000 house arrest of
Aung San Suu Kyi (see above) and calling for the release of other NLD
members and the re-opening of NLD party offices. All five men were
detained two days after the statement was broadcast on a US-based radio
station. PEN first learned of this case in early 2005. Details of trial:
Sentenced on 14 September 2000 to 14 years under the press law and 7
years under security legislation. Place of detention: Insein Prison
Health concerns: U Aye Kyu is said to suffer acute asthma.
Professional details: Aye Kyu started to publish poetry in 1962 and was
banned from publication in 1988. Also former editor of a banned literary
journal. Previous political imprisonment/problems: Aye Kyu was
previously detained from 1967-1970, and served four months in 1990 for
his opposition activities.
Investigation
*Ko Kyaw Thu Moe MYINT: Poet. Reportedly arrested on 26 March
2007 for writing and distributing a booklet of Valentines Day poems in
February 2007. Two of the poems referred to independence hero general
Aung San. Ko Kyaw Thu Moe Nyint was first summoned by the Kyaukse
township chairman and was reportedly forced to sign a statement saying
he would never publish and distribute his own work. He is currently
detained at the Sinkhaing detention centre. WiPC seeking an update.
Brief Detention
A major crackdown in Burma has been underway since early September
2007, following demonstrations led by monks and pro-democracy
activists which began on 19 August 2007. Writers and journalists were
among the scores of people to be detained, details of the major cases
known to PEN are given below. All of those arrested in the crackdown
are now thought to have been freed, but many remain under heavy
restriction.
*MAUNG Thura (aka’Zargana’)
D.o.b.: Profession: Leading comedian, poet and opposition activist.
Date of arrest: 25 September 2007 Details of arrest: Arrested for his
support to the monks demonstrating in the capital, Rangoon. His release
was reported on 18 October, although he remains under heavy surveillance
and restriction, as he has been for many years. Previous political
problems/imprisonment: Maung Thura, more commonly known by his
nick-name ‘Zargana’, is Burma’s leading comedian, popular for his political
satires. Zargana spent several years in prison in the early 1990s for
his opposition activities. During that time he was taken up as a main case
by the Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN. Zargana,
whose pseudonym means ‘tweezers’ and refers to his years spent training
as a dentist, was first arrested in October 1988 after making fun of the
government, but freed six months later. However, on 19 May 1990, he
impersonated General Saw Maung, former head of the military government,
to a crowd of thousands at the Yankin Teacher’s Training College
Stadium in Rangoon. He was arrested shortly afterwards, and sentenced
to five years in prison. He was held in solitary confinement in a tiny cell
in Rangoon’s Insein Prison, where he began writing poetry. One of his
prison poems was published in the International PEN anthology This
Prison Where I Live. After his release from prison in March 1994,
Zargana was banned from performing in public, but continued to make
tapes and videos which were strictly censored by the authorities. In May
1996, after speaking out against censorship to a foreign journalist, he was
banned from performing his work altogether, and stripped of his freedom
to write and publish. Honorary member of: English PEN.
Released
KYAW Sein Oo: Assistant to the head of the information department of
the National League for Democracy (NLD). Arrested on 14 September
2000 and sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment under the Printers and
Publishers Registration Act for distributing information regarding the
repression of the NLD to international press agencies and to Western
diplomats based in Rangoon. Presumed freed on expiry of sentence.
NEPAL
Killed
*Birendra SHAH: Freelance journalist who worked for the publication
Dristri Weekly as well as the privately owned Nepal FM Radio and
Avenues TV. His body was found on 8 November 2007 after being
kidnapped by Maoist cadres on 5 October 2007. Maoist authorities
issued a statement on 5 November confirming that members of their
party were responsible for Shah’s death, and that he had been murdered
on the day of his abduction. The CPN-Maoist statement named a senior
cadre, Lal Bahadur Chaudhary, and two associates, who are said to be
personally responsible for Shah’s abduction and murder. Shah had gone
with another journalist to investigate a report on timber smuggling when
he was abducted, and had recently published critical reports about local
Maoists. He is said to have been targeted because of ‘personal disputes’
with Chaudhary, who has reportedly fled to India to avoid arrest. The
CPN-Maoist has distanced itself from the murder, and states that the
three cadres have been expelled from the party and will now face disciplinary
action. The government of Nepal has not yet responded to the
CPN-Maoist statement.
Killing: investigation
*Shankar PANTHI: Correspondent for the local pro-Maoist daily Naya