U Saw Nandi’s health deteriorating

DVB, February 5

The health condition of U Saw Nandi, the chairman of Kengtung Township National League for Democracy (NLD) is deteriorating. He is suffering from high blood pressures, diabetics and other ailments in his old age.

U Saw Nandi is currently being detained at Kengtung Prison in eastern Shan State near Thailand. His health condition was so bad that medicines had to be sent into the prison from the outside in emergency.

U Saw Nandi was arrested with Shan State organising vice-chairman U Sai Phat in September 2002 and each given a seven year sentence by Burma’s military junta, State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). U Sai Phat died in Kengtung Prison on 9 October 2003.

U Saw Nandi was charged with the political act 5J but he was, in fact, arrested because he stood for farmers who demanded the liberalisation of paddy/rice market, according to U Thein Nyunt who defended him at the court and he insisted U Saw Nandi should be released before 12 February now that the paddy/rice market has beeen ‘liberalised’ by the SPDC.

Recently, another political prisoner died in Taungoo Prison in central Burma. According to Amnesty International, there are more than 1300 political prisoners in Burma.