POLITICAL PRISONERS IN BURMESE GULAGS

Since 1988, the military junta that had already brutalised Burma for a generation, that had ignored results of free elections held in 1990 because they did not approve of the people's choice, and now call themselves the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), has consistently and continuously closed universities, and arrested students who protested this abuse of their rights, and worked for the freedom of their country.

The SPDC has denied the existence of the nearly 2,000 student political prisoners to the international community. After the 9-9-99 action, the following students were given savage sentences and with extensions and transferred to Thayet, TharYarWaddy and Taungue prisons on January 22, 2000. 

Nyi Htwe was involved in the 1996 student movements, during which he established many connections in the freedom education movement. In 1998, he was again actively involved in the August 24 student demonstrations. Some of his friends were arrested after this movement, and he was forced into hiding. During his time in hiding, he became an extension member of the NLD-Youth and worked at the NLD Headquarters. In September 1999 he attempted to organize for the '9999' action so MI came to arrest him at his house on the evening of 9-9-99. However, he was able to evade their arrest. On September 20 the MI again attempted to arrest him, and searched his house and took some documents and other materials of his. In November 1999 the MI succeeded in arresting him. On December 3,1999 he was sentenced in Insein Prison Court to 37 years with hard labour.

Ko Zaw Ye Win was involved in the 1988 uprisings in Burma as a RIT (Rangoon Institute of Technology) student and a member of the RIT student union. In 1989 he became a member of the Democratic Student Front, Yangon division. Together with this group he was involved in the memorial ceremony of Phone Maw on the 1990 anniversary of his death. Due to this activity, he was arrested by the MI and sentenced to 3 years imprisonment with hard labor. After he was released from prison, he continued his involvement in the political field. In September 1999, he worked to organize the support of people for the "9999' action. He was arrested again by the MI at the end of September 1999. On December 3,1999 he was sentenced in Insein Prison Court to 17 years with hard labour.

In 1988, Thet Htwe was heavily involved in the '88 movement as a member of Rangoon University Students Union . In 1989 he joined the Student Democratic Front, Yangon Division. In 1990 he was on the leading committee of All Burma Federation of Student Unions (lower Burma). At the end of 1990, after the election results of Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD party were denied, he fled to the border area. In 1997 he secretly returned to the central area of Burma to work underground with Rangoon University of Students Union . In 1999 he supported the work for the '9999' action, and was subsequently arrested by the MI in November. On December 3, 1999 he was sentenced in the Insein Prison court to 21 years in prison with hard labour.