U Win Tin – Burma’s Longest Serving Political Prisoner Is Freed

U Win Tin

Amnesty International has welcomed the release of U Win Tin, a 78-year-old Burmese journalist who has been the subject of the organisation's Edinburgh Festival campaign on three occasions.

Arrested in 1989 for his involvement in the National League For Democracy (NLD) and associated political writings, he was imprisoned for 19 years, making him one of the longest serving prisoners of conscience in Burma.

Amnesty International's Scottish Programme Director, John Watson, said: "This is fantastic news and long overdue. I am delighted for U Win Tin, and for the thousands of Scottish people who have campaigned on his behalf over the years."

However, the fate of the other estimated Burmese 2,100 political prisoners who are still behind bars remains a cause for concern, the charity said today.

Amnesty’s Burma researcher, Benjamin Zawacki commented:

“While the release of U Win Tin and his fellow prisoners is certainly the best news to come out of Burma for a long time, unfortunately they don’t even represent one percent of the political prisoners there.

“These seven people should never have been imprisoned in the first place, and there are many, many more who should also be released.”

Amnesty International notes unconfirmed reports that the Burmese government may grant ‘amnesty’ to as many as 9,000 prisoners in the run-up to planned elections in 2010. However, it remains unclear whether this figure includes political prisoners.

U Win Tin refused to accept an amnesty by the government, as to do so would have implied that the reason for his imprisonment was legitimate. Reports indicate that there were no conditions on his release.

Zawacki added: “Prisoners of conscience, like those released today, are exactly what the term says: people sent to prison simply because of what they believe, and the peaceful actions they take because of those beliefs.

“They have done nothing wrong and we call for their immediate and unconditional release.”

The other six prisoners of conscience released are also NLD members, and four are MPs-elect from the 1990 elections in which the NLD was victorious.