Agence France-Presse February 10 2003

Myanmar's military said Monday it had arrested 12 activists from pro-democracy parties for "anti-government" activities undertaken with funding from dissident expatriates. The 12 were mostly members of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, a military spokesman said at a specially called media briefing.

"It has been found that some members of the legally standing political parties inside the country have been engaged in anti-government activities with financial support from dissident expatriates," Brigadier General Than Tun told the briefing. Than Tun said some of those who were arrested had produced "anti-government materials".

They included a NLD vice chairman from Kamayut township, Khin Win, and Shan National League for Democracy (SNLD) secretary Sai Nyunt Lwin. The pamphlets had been found with another NLD member, Maung Maung Myint.

"Maung Maung Myint was arrested on February 5 together with around 450 anti-government pamphlets he admitted he had personally authored," Than Tun said. Maung Maung Myint had also admitted to authoring an anti-government pamphlet aimed at monks and students, 1,000 copies of which had been produced for public distribution, he said.

"They were obviously trying to get the sympathy of monks as well as the general public for their cause," he said. "We will take legal action against some of the 12 arrested and release those we deem to be innocent after our investigation is complete," Than Tun said, adding "everything will be legal and above board."

International human rights group such as Amnesty International "need have no worries" on that score, he said. Amnesty returned last week from its first fact-finding mission to Myanmar, which has a poor rights record. Than Tun said although it was clear some members of the opposition parties were involved in anti-government activities, "we have not accused the leadership of either political party of being directly involved."

Crackdown Despite Amnesty Visit

Irrawaddy February 10 2003

In a brazen show of force, the Burmese regime arrested an estimated 20 Burmese democracy activists, including a prominent ethnic politician, while human rights watchdog Amnesty International was in Burma on its first ever fact finding mission, according to government sources and opposition members in Rangoon. Donna Guest, an Amnesty International researcher on Burma and Thailand who was part of the two-member delegation, told The Irrawaddy today from Bangkok that she was unaware of last week’s crackdown in Rangoon.

"It would certainly be of great concern to us if that were true," Donna Guest said today. Amnesty was in Rangoon from Jan 31 to Feb 8, and held a press conference today in Bangkok to discuss the visit. Government spokesperson Brig-Gen Than Tun confirmed the arrests of 12 democracy supporters at a press conference in Rangoon today, including seven National League for Democracy (NLD) members. Reliable sources from Rangoon, however, said at least 20 people were arrested during the first week of Feb.

NLD spokesperson U Lwin also commented today from Rangoon about two NLD members who were arrested last week. "The authorities said their arrest was not because of party activities, but underground ones," said U Lwin. "And both of them will have to face trial soon."

Among those arrested was Sai Nyunt Lwin, secretary of the Shan National League for Democracy. He was summoned by military intelligence officers last Friday, and continues to be detained at a military intelligence detention center. He was reportedly arrested for printing anti-government leaflets.

The government’s continuing decision to brook no dissension inside the military ruled state does not bode well for democratic reforms that have been promised by the regime for months now, analysts say. According to a Reuters report today, when Than Tun was questioned about the affects the latest crackdown would have on relations between the opposition and the regime, he said: "We need to see how the legally existing parties respond to the illegal activities of their members." He then declined further comment.

Relatives of those detained since last week said today that they did not know what the government’s motives were for carrying out the arrests. But some did say the arrests might have stemmed from their connections to groups considered "unlawful" by the regime, including exiled Burmese democracy groups.

Amnesty International met with a whole spectrum of groups while in Rangoon. They held a two-hour meeting with NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Jan 31 and also spoke with government officials, detained political prisoners and former political detainees. They said their recommendations to the regime as well as their findings would be published later this year. The London-based rights group had been trying to receive visas to Burma for over 15 years.

Meanwhile, according to former political prisoners, a Rangoon court recently sentenced at least three democracy activists to three-year prison sentences for possessing opposition journals printed in Thailand. Three activists had been detained in Insein Prison since last September under section 17/1 of the 1957 Unlawful Associations Act. The three individuals are Hla Htut Soe, Ko Myint Ye and Ko Baydar. Two nuns were also imprisoned last month for holding a peaceful demonstration in front of Rangoon City Hall. The junta accused them of being fake nuns sent by the NLD (Liberated Area) in order to stir unrest inside the country.