NCGUB East

Urgent Press Release

One NLD Youth Member Lost Consciousness due to Barbaric Torture by Authorities

'' Yoma 3 News Agency '' has reported that a political prisoner has been unconscious in Insein Prison after getting barbaric torture by the prison authorities since Saturday, 21 Feb. 2004. The unconscious political prisoner is Khin Maung Oo, an NLD youth member from Tha-ke-ta township, who was arrested in September 1998 together with U Soe Myint of Min-bu township MP and U Toe Po of Ye-phyu township MP. Khin Maung Oo was put on trial under the 1950 Emergency Provision Act 5 (J) accusing him of delivering anti-military regime pamphlets in Rangoon. He was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment without allowing to get a lawyer.

Some family members of political prisoners who visited their relatives in Insein Prison on Saturday gave confirmation that Khin Maung Oo was tortured by the authorities on that day and lost consciousness around 10 a.m. and relatives were concerned about his recovery from unconsciousness.

Coincidentally, on the same day six students from Dagon University were sentenced to long-termed imprisonment charging them of organizing illegal Students' Union and delivering pamphlets against the road map of the military junta's Prime Minister Gen. Khin Nyunt. The names of six students are Nandar Sit Aung(17 years imprisonment), Zaw Lin Tun(17 years imprisonment), Kyaw Soe Moe(12 years imprisonment), Lwin Ko Lat( 7 years imprisonment), Kyaw Kyaw ( 7 years imprisonment)and Han Win Aung( 7 years imprisonment), a Rangoon news source said.

Moreover, a reliable source in Rangoon said the health condition of two elected representative of the National League for Democracy (NLD) who are still in Insein Prison in Rangoon have been seriously deteriorating. The two are Dr. Than Nyein from Kyauktan township constituency and Daw May Win Myint from Mayangon township constituency.

Further Information:
Please contact 66 1 284 77 14; 661 409 96 70

Also contact : 66 55 54 63 49 ( Ko Chan Nyein/ Ko Nyan Win: YOMA 3 News Agency)