Activists arrested for staging protest in front of Burmese embassy in US

DVB ( 20 October, 2003 )

18 October is the birthday of the long imprisoned Burmese student leader Ko Min Ko Naing and political activists in Washington DC had staged a protest in front of the Burmese embassy on 17 October to mark the occasion. Four activists were arrested by security staff for blocking the entrance to the embassy.

Ko Nyi Nyi Aung, one of the Burmese activists told DVB about the protest from the front of the embassy as follows:

Ko Nyi Nyi Aung : The people arrested were three non-Burmese nationals from US Campaign for Burma and Ko Aung Din. We staged the protest to mark the birthday of the imprisoned chairman of Burma Students Union. We want to make the regime aware of what it is like to spend one's birthday inside a prison and to have pity on all political prisoners who have been arrested like him. We blocked the entrance of the embassy because we want to highlight the fact that the SPDC is an illegal government and that we don't recognise it.

Ko Yin Aye, another activist explained the purpose of the protest as follows:

Ko Yin Aye : Min Ko Naing has served his ten year sentence but they are still detaining him illegally and without any charges. Therefore, we have intensified the campaign for his release internationally. We want to show that as long as the regime doesn't release him, it will have to be afraid of the students. He shows that the regime is afraid of a student like him who owns only one pen. Min Ko Naing is 41 years old today and during his 41 years, he was forced to waste his 15 youthful years in prison. We want to say that it's high time the military leaders including their chairman General Than Shwe release Min Ko Naing.

Min Ko Naing was arrested by the military intelligence on the 24 March 1989 and he is currently being incarcerated in Sittwe Prison, Arakan State. He was to be released in 1999 but the authorities refused to release him and kept on detaining him with Act 10a every year. There had been reports that his health condition is deteriorating but his family members are not allowed to contact him directly at the moment. Sittwe Prison is very far from his family in Rangoon and family members are only able to see him once or twice a year.

Min Ko Naing is known to be strong mentally and he opposes the regime without compromise and he is being respected inside and outside Burma. He has been awarded many international honours butthe SPDC is still refusing to release him.