By Zin Linn
Column: Burma Question


Bangkok, Thailand — Have you ever imagined what it would be like to be a prisoner of conscience for a few days in the Burmese military junta's infamous Insein prison? The military authorities confine you in an undersized cell, 8.5 by 11.5 feet, with only a bamboo mat on the concrete floor. Sleeping, eating, walking and going to the bathroom are all done in the same place.
You cannot see the sun, the moon or the stars. You are intentionally barred from breathing fresh air, eating nutritious food and drinking pure water. Books, periodicals, radio and television are out of the question. If you get sick, no medical worker will check on you until you have lost consciousness.

Under such harsh conditions, Zaw Myint Maung, an experienced physician who never committed even a small crime, has been languishing in prison for nearly two decades. As a one-time cell mate of his, each moment I think about his situation in the junta's atrocious dungeon, I feel uneasy.

It was 1994, in the cell compound of the infamous Insein Prison. I was in cell No. 10 of cell block No. 3 with Zaw Myint Maung, a healthy and handsome man of short stature with tan skin. He was very kind and helpful not only to inmates, but also to wardens and prison officers, who consulted him in health matters. Because of his calm, warm manner as an experienced medical doctor, the prison staff paid him respect behind the military intelligence officers’ backs.

Hence, he managed to form a medical assistance committee in prison, smuggling medicines and disposable syringes into prison cells. He treated his fellow inmates’ various sicknesses and even did minor surgeries with the help of the wardens who respected him. Many wardens regarded the doctor as their health consultant in those days.

A graduate from the Mandalay Institute of Medicine in 1979, he became head physician of Ywar-thit-kyi District Hospital in Sgaing Division in 1982. He worked in the biochemistry department of the Mandalay Institute of Medicine for eight years. During the 1988 People's Uprising, he was elected secretary of the Mandalay Doctors' Association.

Then he became a member of the National League for Democracy and was later elected as a member of Parliament from Mandalay’s Amarapura township in 1990. After the junta refused to honor the election results, he and some members of Parliament held secret meetings to find a political way out. As a result, Zaw Myint Maung was arrested on Nov. 22 and put on trial for allegedly participating in meetings to form a parallel government. He was charged with treason against the nation and sentenced to 25 years in prison at a military tribunal with no legal representation.

He has been languishing in the junta's hellish prison for 18 years, or one-third of his life. While in Insein Prison, he underwent many interrogations by intelligence officials about his views on the military regime and political dissident Aung San Suu Kyi. The authorities tried to persuade him to collaborate with them, but they could not win over his strong political aspiration of building a democratic Burma. As a staunch supporter of Aung San Suu Kyi, he is on the top of the junta's blacklist.

I remember one noteworthy vision of the doctor. He said, “Democracy is on the march around the world, including Burma. But we need commitment to work selflessly with grassroots people until the day that a free Burma emerges. The struggle for freedom may need more time. But it will not be beyond measure. It’s a war between the just and unjust. The just will prevail at last."

In 1995, fellow political prisoners from various organizations actively worked to collect valid facts and figures on human rights abuses experienced in prison, for a report to be sent to the United Nations on the situation of human rights in Burma. Zaw Myint Maung was one of the coordinators of this effort.

On July 15, 1995, the report, "Human Rights Abuses in the Junta's Prisons," together with a petition of over 100 political prisoners, was successfully smuggled out. Within weeks, the report was sent to Yozo Yokota, the U.N. Special Rapporteur for Burma.

The release of both the report and the petition hurt the junta’s image and made the generals extremely angry. Consequently, the prison cell compound was searched, and many inmates were thrown into dark cells and interrogated while being deprived of food and sleep.

Zaw Myint Maung was one of 24 political prisoners who were given further prison sentences on March 28, 1996, in connection with their circulation of news journals within the prison and their efforts to report human rights violations to the United Nations. The doctor was alleged to have written politically agitating poems and to have signed a petition for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi.

During the investigation, he and seven others, including U Win Tin, a famous journalist and senior member of the NLD, were held in cells designed for military dogs, made to sleep on concrete floors without bedding during winter and left without food and water.

Maung was held in a dog cell between Nov. 1995 and May 1996. The group of 24 had no attorneys to defend them against the charges they faced. They were charged with threatening prison security and forming anti-junta organizations in prison. The doctor was then sentenced to an additional 12 years’ imprisonment under both charges.

On April 3, 1997, he was transferred to the Myit-kyi-na prison in the state of Kachin, which is in the north of Burma and has extreme weather. Harsh prison conditions are still commonplace in Burmese prisons, and many prisoners suffer from serious mental disorders resulting from long periods of solitary confinement.

Prisoners cannot get essential medical treatment even in Insein Prison, which is the model prison in Burma. Even worse is the fact that when political prisoners face a fatal illness, they will not be hospitalized unless they abandon their dissident beliefs. Hundreds of deaths are due to the authorities' unnecessarily negligence in medical treatment. Currently, there are more than 2,100 political prisoners in Burma, including 18 members of Parliament, 178 female prisoners and 213 Buddhist monks.

The valiant, imprisoned physician has constantly refused to sign a confession promising to abandon his political beliefs as a condition for his release. Zaw Myint Maung is the father of two sons and one daughter. He has not been able to show fatherly love to his children for nearly two decades. He himself has been suffering from hemorrhoids and stomach pain. With his 57th birthday approaching on Dec. 11, the doctor deserves freedom as a birthday present for his contributions to society.

Burma has been called "the world's largest open prison for prisoners of conscience." There are over 2,100 political prisoners still languishing in Burmese prisons, among whom Zaw Myint Maung may be Burma's longest-serving prisoner of conscience.

Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says: "No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment." But Zaw Myint Maung has been suffering from torture and three unjust prison sentences for almost 37 years.

It would be great if international NGOs launched a concerted effort to free political prisoners in Burma, since this situation not only involves regional politics, but is also connected with global humanitarianism. For that reason, the United Nations, ASEAN, the European Union and China should consider pressuring the State Peace and Development Council to free all political prisoners immediately and unconditionally.

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(Zin Linn is a freelance Burmese journalist living in exile. He currently serves as information director of the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma in Bangkok, Thailand. He is also vice-president of the Burma Media Association, which is affiliated with the Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontiers. He can be contacted at uzinlinn@gmail.com. ©Copyright Zin Linn.)

Original post- http://www.upiasia.com/Human_Rights/2008/11/07/burmese_dissident_deserves_release/3079/

It has been a long time since i wrote a post on my blog as i was really busy with my studies. However, there were a lots of changes in Burma during these days like sentencing 65 years to 88 students leaders. Moreover, they put lawyers who do cases for NLD and opposition leaders into jails

Where is the justice ? Absolutely there is no such a thing in our country at the moment  as they do whatever they want. Unfortunately, exiled people are not united at this stage. We heard a lots of disagreement between NCGUB and MPU. Here, i would like to advise to those people that we look forward to get democracy so we should focus on what we can do to make changes in our country rather than chasing for position in an organization like NCGUB. History will decide everything. You do not need to worry about what others did but you should concentrate on what you can do for our country.

Sadly, some people (i don't mean all) i saw on exile are earning money for themselves from fund raising activities for our country. How bad it is ? I am sure that some of the people do their best.
 
What is the plan next for our country?
 
2010 election is coming soon ?

Will we do together or separately ?

There are thousands of political prisoners there in our country and millions of people are suffering and waiting the period of change.

What can we do ?

There is only one solution to these questions ?

" We have to unite and make a respectable organization in exile which links to all other countries and people in our country, Burma"

Therefore, It is the time to pay respect to each other and forgot about personal problems and looking forward about future of our country. And then we can make an important decision at least for our country.

During these days i had not written on the blog as i was busy with all my studies and stuffs. But today i read about the article in Ayarwady and i can't stay quite anymore.This is just the reflection of my thinking.

I just read your article and you said some politicians r not experience enough to support u nu in 1988. Maybe because some leaders emerged because of demend of our people for the people and not because of their personal interest in politics. Maybe U nu did his best for our people but he need to sincere enough and should discuss with all his collegues.You can imagine  if you are part of this take over goverment and you did not know you r in that goverment. how do u feel ? at least he should discuss with all the people in his cabinet memebers.

Secondly, you said MPs did not try to get recognition of 90 election result. Actually they did and they discussed in Amarapura township, Mandalay division.  This became the basic structure for NCGUB. They tried to make a parallel goverment and planned how to make against the goverment.  But Unfortunately after the Gandhi meeting, some MPs have been arrested because of this and some escaped to Thai boder.

Thirdly, you said discussion is not the right one! OK come on man, this is not 20th century and in Bogyoke era , japanese army was behind them not only 30 burmese heros. nowadays every country is catuious. Which army is behind us ? US no way , never dream because they will never do without their sake. this is reality. If you are dreaming of fighting the military with our own people, you have to know that the Burmese army is one of the top 10 military over the world. Do you know that? they are well organized and how can we do that ? we have to risk for the impossible matters. I am a young Burmese about 24 and every single youth throughout our country nearly the same. Be prepare for what can we do and do what you can do.

DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME ON IMPOSSIBLE THINGS AND NEVER DREAM OF THAT AGAIN UNLESS A GAINT ARMY IS BEHIND US.

This is just critical writing and do not intend to attack personally to anybody.

All Burma Federation of Student Unions(ABFSU) Announcement 6/2008;
Arrest of Student Activists
Date: 18 August 2008


(1) Burmese Military regime’s intelligence officials and the authorities had forcibly entered and searched some houses in Rangoon, where members of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU) were staying, at night of August 7, 2008.

(2) After the searches, three members of ABFSU, Aung Kyaw (Rangoon Western University), Htain Lin (University of Education, Rangoon) and Chit Tun Lwin (Maubin University), two members of the 88 Generation Students, Mar Mar Oo and Myo Thant, and three visitors were arrested by the authorities.

(3) It has been 11 days from the date of arrest. Family members are not informed yet by the authorities, where they are being detained, what they are being faced, and whether they are alive or not. Therefore, all family members, friends and relatives of the arrestees are very much concerned.

(4) All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU) is greatly concerned about the missing students, who were brought by the authorities to an unknown location while they all are working for the benefit of the people, students and youths.

(5) Emergence of national reconciliation dialogue among all stake-holders is importantly required in Burma today to address all social, economic and political crises by peaceful means. We, ABFSU, strongly denounce the Burmese military regime for its continued human rights violations and arrest of democracy activists, instead of moving towards national reconciliation.

(6) We demand the Burmese military regime to stop its unlawful, unfair and illegal arrest of student activists, and to release the current arrestees, three members of the ABFSU, two members of the 88 Generation Students and three visitors immediately. We also warn the military regime that it will be sole responsible for any physical and psychological impacts on these arrestees.

All Burma Federation of Student Unions Contact: abfsu.07@gmail.com and abfsu2007@gmail.com

            Yesterday some of the news from Yangon said the goverment is now planning to have Policy exam for the new doctors who have recently finished their internship. This is just the same system what it was in MA-SA-LA era. Most of the questions are related to the questions relating whether they are against the military goverment or not.Normally, they called the posting for only one batch and they have to wait for at least a year to get a goverment job. This year strangely they called the posting two batches those who passed matriculation exam in 2000 and 2001. They will appoint 700 of them.

           Usually they appoint all the doctors qualified from medical school but now they can not as there are so many doctors from 2001 bact. From starting from 2000 batch, the institute of medicine, magwae was opened therefore a bit more than usual number. A year later they called so many medical students round about 4000 for all four medical schools. So it was totally unfair for 2000 batch as it has only 1300+ doctors and they have to compete with nearly 3000+ doctors to get a goverment job.

          Futhermore, for 1999 batch all the doctors applied for jobs got it and for 2000, they will not get the jobs. Quite unfair. Who is behind this process? Who knows? But one thing sure is they will appoint the sons and daughters of military persons and those who will give huge money to the authorities.Most of the doctors from 2000 and 2001 are not satisfied with this decision and they are depressed and angary with that decision. They have to apply for the jobs and test between 25 and 29 of August in Naw-Pyi-Daw.