AAAS Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law Program

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AAAS Human Rights Action Network

FACTS OF THE CASE:

Mr. Thiha Thu, a third year physics student, was among 900 students arrested in February 1992 for participating in peaceful demonstrations which took place in Yangon and Mandalay on December 10 and 11, 1991. Demonstrators called for the release of Nobel Prize winner Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the transfer of military power to civilian authorities. Mr. Thiha was arrested in his hometown of Moulmein in Mon State. In July 1992, a military tribunal sentenced Thiha and most of the other students to 15 years' imprisonment; however, the sentences were reduced to ten years in January 1993.

Many demonstrators were arrested during the demonstration. The alleged ringleaders were taken to Military Intelligence where they were interrogated under torture and forced to disclose the names of other demonstrators.

Mr. Thiha was held in Insein prison in the Thi Thant section for political prisoners. In January 1994, he was transferred with other prisoners to either Thayet prison in Magway or Tharawaddy prison in the Bago division. Prisoners may be at risk of ill treatment; there have been reports of deaths, torture, and poor conditions at these detention centers.

The detention of Mr. Thiha and hundreds of other students solely for their participation in non-violent demonstrations and for the expression of their political beliefs constitutes a serious violation of international human rights standards enumerated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They include the following:

• everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person (Article 3);
• no one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention, or exile (Article 9);
• everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any medium regardless of frontiers (Article 19); and
• Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association (Article 20.1).

(Source of information on this case is Amnesty International.)

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Please send telexes, telegrams, faxes, or airmail letters:

• calling on the government of Burma/Myanmar to release Mr. Thiha and the others imprisoned solely for participating in peaceful demonstrations;
• urging the government of Burma/Myanmar to guarantee freedom of expression, assembly, and peaceful political activities; and
• requesting information about the charges, trial, sentence, and current status of Mr. Thiha.

APPEAL AND INQUIRY MESSAGES SHOULD BE SENT TO:

General Than Shwe
Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Co
c/o Ministry of Defense
Signal Pagoda Road
Yangon, Union of Myanmar
(Telexes: 713 213 16)
(Telegrams: General Than Shwe, Yangon, Myanmar)
Salutation: Dear General

Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt, Secretary 1
State Law and Order Restoration Council
c/o Ministry of Defense
Signal Pagoda Road
Yangon, Union of Myanmar
(Telegrams: Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt, Yangon, Myanmar)
Salutation: Dear General

COPIES SENT TO:

Kent M. Wiedemann
Charge d'Affaires
American Embassy
581 Merchant Street
(GPO 521)
Box B APO AP 9656
(Fax: 951 280 409)


His Excellency U Thaung
Ambassador of the Union of Myanmar to the United States
2300 S Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008
(Fax: 202. 332.9046)
Salutation: Your Excellency

Myanmar Desk
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20520
Salutation: Dear Sir or Madam
The Editor
The Nation
44 Moo 10, Bangna-Trat Road, km 4.5
Bangna, Phra Khanong
Bangkok 10260
Thailand
The Editor
The Bangkok Post
136 Na Ranong Road
Off Sunthorn Kosa Road
Klong Toey
Bangkok 10110
Thailand

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