NLD concerns over U Tin Oo’s health

DVB ( 15 December 2003 )

The leaders of National League for Democracy (NLD) is said to be extremely concerned about the health condition of its vice chairman, U Tin Oo who is currently being detained in Kale Prison, northern Burma.

U Tin Oo was arrested during the notorious 30 May Dipeyin incident after he was assaulted by the SPDC sponsored thugs.

The comment came after the meeting between the NLD leaders and the representatives of the Amnesty International (AI) in Rangoon.

U Nyunt Wei of the NLD told DVB that U Tin Oo, a veteran soldier is old and he has been enduring old battle wounds on his body and suffering from their side effects due to the extreme weather.

The AI met with the representatives of United Nationalities Alliance (UNA) and discussed the rights of ethnic nationals.

Pu Cin Shin Htang of UNA explained to AI representatives of the lack of political and human rights of ethnic nationals and asked the organisation to help them bring about the release of old and ill political prisoners.

After the meeting, the AI team departed from Rangoon for Moulmein in southern Burma to meet political prisoners there but it is not clear whether they would be able to see some famous political prisoners there.

The team is expected to travel to upper Burma to meet other political prisoners including U Tin Oo and a student leader Ko Thet Win Aung who was sentenced to 59 years for his role in the 1998 student uprising.

Ko Thet Win Aung was transferred from Khamti Prison to Mandalay Prison he staged a hunger strike. His physical and mental conditions are not very good, according to his brother Ko Htay Win Aung who went to see him recently.