Release Ko Min Ko Naing and All Political Prisoners by (BROUK)

Date: 18/10/2011

Release Ko Min Ko Naing and All Political Prisoners

Today is the 49th birthday anniversary of the 88 Generation Student leader Min Ko Naing aka Paw Oo Tun, who is the former chairman of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU). On this occasion, the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK) has jointly celebrated his birthday in honour of his great sacrifice and dedication at the service of the people of Burma. Meanwhile, we are at great grief that he is still in prison.

Ko Min Ko Naing was arrested in 1989 for participating in the student-led uprising. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison. He released in 2004 November and rearrested again in August 2007, with 13 other leaders of the 88 Generation Students for organizing peaceful demonstrations. In November 2008, he was sentenced to 65 years imprisonment,along with 22 others for their role in the August 2007 demonstrations. In 2008, he was transferred to Kengtung Prison in Shan State, where isolated, bleak cells were constructed in mid-2000 for solitary confinement.

Recently Thein Sein government released 6,359 prisoners on 12 October and but there were only 220 political prisoners. Almost 2,000 political prisoners still remain in prison. Many have been tortured, denied proper access to medical care, kept in squalid cell or removed to remote prisons making it difficult for families to visit. If Thein Sein Regime wants genuine reform it should release all political prisoners and 88 Generation Student leaders, including Ko Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi, Ko Mya Aye. It is equally important that Reverent U Gambira ,U Kyaw Min (Rohingya MP for NDPHR and member of Committee Representing People’s Parliament) and family members, U Khun Htun Oo (Shan National League for Democracy) and the rest of political prisoners must be released. 

We call on Thein Sein Regime to release Ko Min Ko Naing and all political prisoners forthwith. We also urge upon international community to continue pressure on the Burmese regime for their release and to start genuine tripartite dialogue between NLD, ethnic representatives and the regime.

Maung Tun Khin

President

BURMESE ROHINGYA ORGANISATION UK (BROUK)

10 Station Road, Walthamstow, London E17 8AA