About U Win Tin
 U Win Tin just spent his 75th birthday in prison on March 12, 2005. He has already spent one fifth of his life in jail on account of his peaceful opposition to ruling military authorities, and his acts in defence of human rights and freedom of expression. He is serving a sentence to 20 years' imprisonment and is Myanmar's longest serving prisoner of conscience.
A journalist , former editor and senior opposition party official, U Win Tin was arrested in July 1989 in a crackdown on political party members. U Win Tin is believed to have been arrested because of his senior position with the National League for Democracy (NLD) The NLD isthe main opposition party in Myanmar, which won 82% of seats in general elections in 1990, and to whom authorities have not handed over power.
He has been sentenced three times since 1989, each time while imprisoned. U Win Tin was most recently sentenced in March 1996 to seven years imprisonment. He was penalized for communicating with the United Nations, while imprisoned about prison conditions; and writing and circulating articles in prison. Authorities characterized this as "secretly publishing propaganda to incite riots in jail".
The letter to the United Nations was reportedly titled "The testimonials of prisoners of conscience from Insein Prison who have been Unjustly Imprisoned, Demands and Requests regarding Human Rights Violations in Burma" and detailed lack of medical treatment and torture in prison. While authorities investigated the incident, U Win Tin and others were ill-treated. He was held in a cell designed for military dogs during the investigation of this incident, without bedding and deprived of food and water for periods during interrogation.
U Win Tin has suffered from spondylitis and heart disease. His health condition is believed to have been exacerbated by the poor conditions in which he has been held. He has also spent much of his imprisonment in solitary confinement.
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What We Ask For:
In November 2004 authorites announced that it was suspending the sentences of more than 9,000 prisoners on the basis that there had been "improper conduct" by intelligence officials in relation to their imprisonment. Around 40 political prisoners of the more than 1,350 imprisoned in Myanmar were then released.
Unfortunately U Win Tin was not among them, despite statements by the Deputy Foreign Minister on 25 November that he would be released.
Amnesty International is urging authorities to act on this promise reverse the injustice of U Win Tin's continued imprisonment by immediately and unconditionally releasing him.
Please send authorities this message, on the occasion of U Win Tin's 75th birthday, by signing this petition. Collected names will be sent to authorities in Myanmar by Amnesty International.
Or you can send petition by yourself to the following address:
General Than Shwe
Chairman, State Peace and Development Council
Ministry of Defence
Dagon Post Office, Yangon, Myanmar
note: please also send a copy of the petition to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in your own country. |