Political prisoners’ families disconnected from their loved ones

DVB ( Aug 19, 2003 )

Family members of the NLD leaders who were arrested and detained in the Dipeyin incident on 30 May went home from Shwebo Prison without seeing their loved ones.
After the International Committee of the Red Cross(ICRC) informed where detainees are being kept, the family members went to see them last week. But the prison governor forbade them to see their families as they did not have any permission from the authority.

But Daw Khin Khin Than, the wife of U Bar Bar was allowed to send a letter to her husband through the warder after pleading with the governor, according to a member of Mandalay NLD.

Then, Bar Bar’s reply was read to her by the warder in front of the governor. In the letter, Bar Bar asked his family not to worry about him.

‘Keep yourself healthy. I am well. Think our detention as temporary,’ said in the letter.

Also, the wife of Myint Kyi got a letter from her husband after she pleaded. In the letter, Myint Kyi told his wife that ‘We are well here and keep yourself well. Sell the motorcycle and invest it for something.’

But these were the only two family members who could make contacts with their loved ones.

Daw Mya Mya Win, the leader of Mandalay Division NLD Women was still not allowed to see her family. Her relatives went to seek help from the ICRC repeatedly and their names were on the list of people who are not allowed to see their families.

The list has been sent to the Interior Ministry twice but ICRC said that there has been no reply from the ministry so far, according to Mya Mya Win’s relatives.

“We have no permission to say to any news agency why the prisoners are not allowed to be seen,” said an ICRC official. “It is a secret matter. But if the family members ring us, we could tell them the reason.”

The ICRC official also refused to comment neither why prisoners in Kale and Khamti Prisons were allowed to be seen by their family members but not the one in Shwebo Prison nor whether it is due to the severe injuries received by prisoners in Shwebo Prison.

But the official confirmed that the ICRC was allowed to see U Tin Oo once awhile ago and the ICRC met Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at the end of July.

Those who went to the prison were family members of:

U Aung Soe (The Mandalay Division organiser)
U Bar Bar (The MP of Myinmu)
U Tun Myaing (The MP of Watlat)
U Myint Kyi (The MP of Katha)
U Tin Htut Oo (The MP of Leway)

Source: Democratic Voice of Burma, Oslo, in Burmese 1430 gmt 19 Aug 03