UPDATE (Burma): Jailed human rights defender Ma Su Su Nwe reportedly denied medicines 

27 October 2005

[RE: UA-112-2004: BURMA: Complaints against forced labour blocked and victims punished issued on 3 September 2004; UP-11-2005: BURMA: Four officials sentenced to prison for forced labour in Kawmhu Township, Yangon Division; UP-63-2005: BURMA: Local officials seek revenge against villager who obtained first successful forced labour prosecution; UP-68-2005: BURMA: Preliminary hearing against villager who obtained first successful forced labour prosecution completed; UP-73-2005: BURMA: Defamation case against villager continues; UP-117-2005: BURMA: Human rights defender Ma Su Su Nwe jailed in Insein Prison; UP-119-2005: BURMA: Latest news on jailing of human rights defender Ma Su Su Nwe]
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UP-124-2005: BURMA: Jailed human rights defender Ma Su Su Nwe reportedly denied medicines

BURMA: Forced labour; impunity; un-rule of law; threats to human rights defender; arbitrary detention; cruel and inhuman treatment
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Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed by the Yoma-3 news service (Thailand) that Burmese villager and human rights defender Ma Su Su Nwe, who was jailed recently in Insein Prison on the spurious grounds that she abused and intimidated local government officials (see UP-117-2005) has been denied medicine by the prison authorities.  Ma Su Su Nwe suffers from a heart condition for which she takes regular medication.

Please write to the government authorities in Burma or the embassy or consulate in your country stressing your concern about this case. If you haven’t done so already, please also write to your own foreign ministry or equivalent to urge that it take up the case through diplomatic channels: a second sample letter for this purpose can be found in the last update (UP-119-2005). Please modify that letter to include the latest details.

Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
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LATEST INFORMATION

According to the latest information received by the AHRC, Ma Su Su Nwe has been denied medication since being transferred to the central Insein Prison on October 13. Visitors who were able to meet her within a couple of days of her imprisonment said that the authorities had not permitted her to receive any medicines for treatment of her heart condition. Nor had the prison doctors given anything.

The visitors subsequently informed the office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which has an agreement with the Burmese authorities to visit the prisons. According to the information received, the ICRC said that it would seek to get access to Ma Su Su Nwe on its next visit.

Ma Su Su Nwe is reportedly being housed in a new building in the prison, in a cell that was being used as a storeroom. When she was brought to the cell, it was first necessary to clean it out. The cell is said to be dark, with very little natural light or ventilation. Ma Su Su Nwe is reported to be let out once in the morning and once in the evening.

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Please write to the Minister of Home Affairs of the government of Burma and concerned international agencies to stress your concern about the conditions under which Ma Su Su Nwe is being held, in particular, the reported denial of medicines for her heart condition. If you have not yet contacted your government and international organizations in your country on the case, you can refer back to the previous update (UP-119-2005) for a sample letter on how to do so. You may also use the following sample letter to write to the authorities in Burma and express your concern directly to them about the health of Ma Su Su Nwe.

Please remember that for the purposes of all these letters, the country should be referred to by its official title of Myanmar, rather than Burma, and please note that some other names have also been changed in accordance with the spellings designated by the current government.

To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER