BURMA: RISING NUMBERS OF POLITICAL PRISONERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000640 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, DRL, AND IO PACOM FOR FPA E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/14/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM SUBJECT: BURMA: RISING NUMBERS OF POLITICAL PRISONERS RELEASED, BUT FEW PROMINENT DETAINEES AMONG THEM REF: RANGOON 629 RANGOON 00000640 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Political Officer Marc Shaw for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) As of September 22, Burmese authorities have so far released at least 127 political prisoners, but virtually no high-profile detainees are among them. According to Embassy sources, newly freed prisoners were not required to support the SPDC as a condition of their release, but they had to promise to support the regime's "Roadmap to Democracy" and not to criticize the 2008 Constitution. Contrary to previous reporting, former Aung San Suu Kyi (ASSK) personal secretary Win Htain has not been released. Meanwhile, we have confirmed that the regime detained at least 17 political activists, including at least two NLD members and five monks, on September 16, possibly in an attempt to pre-empt any commemoration of the 2007 monk-led "Saffron Revolution" uprising. End Summary. Approximately 127 Political Prisoners Released -------------- - ¶2. (C) We have confirmed with various sources that as of September 22, at least 127 political prisoners have been released, with very few high-profile prisoners among them. (Note: identifying and verifying the names of released detainees is extremely difficult in the Burma environment, since the GOB has not divulged any information on the specific prisoners released. We must rely on second- and third-hand sources. The Assistance Association of Political Prisoners (Burma),based in Thailand, has produced a fairly authoritative list of names.) Win Htain not Among Them... -------------- ¶3. (C) Contrary to earlier reports (reftel),former ASSK personal secretary Win Htain has not been released. Several sources now say he remains in prison. During a meeting September 21, Maung Maung Lay of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters (HRDP),a local human rights organization, speculated that the regime will never release Win Htain because he is relatively young, has a significant following, and likely would stir-up trouble if he were free. Maung Maung Lay said the same holds true for other high-profile political prisoners. Prominent exceptions, he commented, are older activists -- like the 80 year-old journalist Win Tin who was released a year ago. Don't Criticize the "Roadmap" -------------- ¶4. (C) Maung Maung Lay told Poloff the total number of political prisoners released may be as high as 210. However, he added, the majority of those prisoners were close to finishing, or had already finished their terms. Released prisoner Zaw Tun, one of approximately 10 HRDP members included in the latest prisoner release, was convicted and jailed for two years because of his human rights work. He told us in a September 21 meeting that he and two other released colleagues had served their full two-year terms -- "plus an additional three bonus days in order to participate in the government's prisoner release." ¶5. (C) Other newly freed prisoners, including journalist and political activist Thet Zin, told us they did not have to support the SPDC as a quid pro quo for release. Authorities reportedly told the prisoners they could criticize the government, but could not speak out against the 2008 Constitution or the regime's seven-step Roadmap to Democracy. Released Prisoner Details Abuse -------------- RANGOON 00000640 002.2 OF 002 ¶6. (C) The mood of Zaw Tun -- who was visibly elated to be free and able to continue his human rights work -- soured as he recounted to Poloff stories of prison abuse and shed light on how prison authorities maintain control among the general prison population. According to Zaw Tun, prison authorities select a "senior criminal" to supervise each cell containing up to 24 inmates. The position often goes to one who can pay a 20,000-40,000 kyat (roughly 20-40 USD) monthly bribe to prison guards. In exchange for carrying out guards' requests to beat and torture other prisoners and otherwise maintain order in the cell, the "senior criminals" are given free rein to rape young inmates in the public toilets, collect bribes, and physically abuse other inmates. Zaw Tun stated that jailers contribute to inhumane treatment of prisoners, throwing shoes and other items at them. High-profile political prisoners are not subject to this treatment, Zaw Tun observed. Most of them are held in solitary confinement, isolated from the general prison population and separated from one another. Democracy Activists Detained -------------- ¶7. (C) At the same time the regime was releasing political prisoners, it was detaining others. We have confirmed that authorities detained seven laymen and one monk September 16 in Myingyan, Mandalay Division. According to media reports, authorities detained them in an effort to disrupt any possible demonstrations to commemorate the 2007 monk-led "Saffron Revolution" uprising. Also September 16, authorities detained nine people, including five monks from Kyauk Myaing Gyi monastery and two National League for Democracy (NLD) members, in Rangoon. One of the NLD members was released the same day; the fate of the other individuals is unknown. Comment -------------- ¶8. (C) Additional political prisoner releases are possible in the coming days. We note, though, that the GOB's pattern thus far has been to select detainees nearing completion of their terms or those deemed less threatening, while prominent 88 Generation leaders and popular heroes like Zarganar remain behind bars. Unlike last September's release, which included the dynamic Win Tin and Khin Maung Swe of the NLD Central Executive Committee, this year's release so far has contained few easily recognizable names. We note that only three prisoners (journalists Eine Khaing Oo, Kyaw Kyaw Thant, and Thet Zin) mentioned in the recent Human Rights Watch report on high-profile prisoners were released. NLD spokesman Nyan Win presumably is correct in his belief that the authorities motive was to "soften international pressure" through the prisoner release. DINGER