(RE: UA-04-2002 – BURMA: Arrested Professor prepared to die for democracy)
UPDATE (BURMA): Arrested professor sentenced to seven years jail
——————————————————————-
AHRC has previously released an urgent appeal and update on the arrest and detention of Dr Salai Tun Than, who held a one man protest in front of Rangoon Town Hall last November 2001. In February AHRC also set up a website campaign on Dr Salai Tun Than’s case, at http://www.ahrchk.net/tunthan.
Dr Salai Tun Than has now been sentenced to seven years jail for his moment of opposition to Burma’s military regime. According to ‘The Irrawaddy’ journal (www.irrawaddy.org) he was sentenced under Article 5(J) of the 1950 State Emergency Act by a tribunal inside Insein Prison on 8 February. Since then he has been permitted to receive family visitors, and in February he was one of a few elderly prisoners to meet with the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Mr Paulo Sergio Pinheiro. Dr Salai Tun Than also has a serious eye condition that will need to be operated on within the next six months.
In its report ‘The Irrawaddy’ noted that while the military government in Burma has been credited with releasing 243 political prisoners in the last year and a half, most had in fact already completed their sentences and were due to be released. Meanwhile, around 2000 political prisoners remain behind bars, including Dr Salai Tun Than.
WEBSITE
Interested readers should visit AHRC’s website on Dr Salai Tun Than: http://www.ahrchk.net/tunthan. Material now contained there on the case includes:
1) AHRC’s Urgent Appeal and Urgent Updates
2) A postcard campaign
3) A copy of Dr Salai Tun Than’s petition to the military government of Burma
4) Dr Salai Tun Than’s distinguished biography
5) News links to other sites
6) A forthcoming article from ‘Human Rights SOLIDARITY’
The website will be regularly updated.
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission
