Appendix 16

I participated in the 1988 Democracy Uprising. I made speeches at the Phone Maw Uprising in the compound of the University of Rangoon in March 1988. Later, I joined with Student Fronts as a member and took part in political movements. I did not live in my house. I moved into a private hostel because the Military Intelligence came to my house often to question me. I thought political party members were safer than students from arrest, and so I became a member of the National League for Democracy, Insein Branch, in December 1988. I became the youth in charge of the NLD, Insein Branch. I worked with Tun Aung Lwin and Khin Maung Thein in Insein Branch.
We, the NLD Insein Branch members, including me, started the hunger strike in our Insein Branch on August 7, 1989, the memorial for the one-year anniversary of 8.8.88. We demanded the release of all detainees, both students and party members alike. We planned to continue the hunger strike the whole day on August 8. There were five demonstrators left, as other demonstrators retreated when the troops surrounded the office. The military troops raided the NLD, Insein Office. We, Kyaw Swe, Kyaw Lwin Oo, Tin Myo Htut, Than Htay and I, were beaten and arrested by the military troops without any warrant. We were taken away in military trucks, while being sworn at, beaten and held at gunpoint, to Insein prison the same day.
I was sent to a cell as soon as I was in Insein prison. I was taken out to be interrogated at noon, the next day. I was veiled as soon as I was taken out of my cell. I was taken somewhere by a car, but I do not know where I was taken because I was veiled. It took us nearly forty-five minutes to get to the place where I was interrogated. There, I was interrogated while veiled. I was only 23 at the time.
The MI personnel who interrogated me were all men. I was interrogated from noon that day until evening the next day, at which time I was taken back to my cell. The next times I was taken out were mainly in the evenings. I was beaten while in interrogation. I was questioned while veiled, and I could not breath because the sweat soaked veil stuck to my nose. I became suffocated and could not answer their questions. I was tortured like this in interrogations. Furthermore, they threatened me saying, “Everybody except you confessed the truth, you are the only one who has not confessed the truth. Aren’t you the leader of that demonstration?” They likewise used the fact that I am female to further intimidate me.
During interrogations, I was not offered water or food. They tortured me like this hoping I would tell them the truth when I could not bear the feelings of starvation and thirst anymore. After the interrogations, I was put on trial in the Military Tribunal 4.
When we, Kyaw Swe, Kyaw Lwin Oo, Tin Myo Htut, Than Htay and I, were put on trial in the Military Tribunal 4, we were not allowed to obtain our own lawyers and were not given our legal right to defend ourselves. Instead, we were only asked, “Guilty or not?” and then immediately sentenced to 6 years in prison with hard labor. We were taken to our trial only twice, and were then imprisoned. Our families, friends and comrades were not allowed to come to the trial, and so they did not know about our trial.
Having been sentenced, I was sent back to my cell. When I arrived at the prison entry, I was ordered to sit in a prison position intended to disgrace me. The superintendent and female prison officers swore at me because I refused to sit in the prison position.
My family was allowed to visit two weeks after the sentence. Visitation time was set for 15 minutes, but actually; I had time to visit with my family for only 5 or 10 minutes. During family visits, prison authorities took note of what my family and I told each other. When I told my family about the prison conditions, the prison authorities, who were taking notes, warned me, “Do not tell about this; you should not talk about that,” and so on. We were ordered not to speak of the political situation during our family visits.
I had to live in the lock-up cellblock for over a year. We were not treated for our health enough in prison. We were not allowed to get medicine from our families during their visits. We were not taken care of, especially as political prisoners. We were also offered the same food as other ordinary prisoners. I was offered a bowl of rice and bean soup for lunch, and a bowl of rice and vegetable soup, Tarlapaw, for dinner. I was given a piece of fried fish once a week. For cleaning, I was allowed to take a bath once a day. I was only allowed to walk 15 minutes a day. I had to live in my cell the rest of the day.
Our cellblock was separated so that I had no connection with others. We had to talk secretly to others when we were allowed to walk. In the cellblock in Insein, I lived with Daw Kyi Kyi, Ma Don, Nhin Nhin Mhwe, Hla Hla Than, Ohnmar Aye, Daw Nyunt Nyunt from the death role and two others, with a cell for each person.
We decided that we had to do something when we heard the political news outside. We started a strike in the prison with the demand to release all female political prisoners on September 25, 1990. The prison authorities turned on the music so loudly in the loudspeakers that none could hear the slogans from other cellblocks and wards. Two or three hours later, military troops raided the prison. They veiled and beat us. We were taken to the trucks, and ordered to get on at gunpoint around nine in the evening.
Many prisoners saw us and thought we were dead. We, Nhin Nhin Mhwe, Ohnmar Aye, Hla Hla Than, Agoum and I, were beaten in the truck all along the way. We did not know who was beating us or where we were being taken because we were veiled. Around midnight, we were ordered to get off the truck and were taken into a prison. We did not see anything, but we knew we were in a prison because when we entered the door, we had to bend down.
When we were in the new prison, we were put in a cellblock, with one to a cell. As soon as I was put in the cell, I was ordered to sit turning my back to the door and my veil was then taken off. Prison authorities ordered me to live under the prison’s rules. Also, they threatened me, “If you do not live peacefully, and if you make any trouble with us, you will experience beatings more severe than this afternoon.” Later, I asked a female warden my whereabouts, and I then knew I was in Tharawaddy prison.
When we arrived in Tharawaddy prison, we were put in solitary confinement. All our things were taken, except two prison dresses, and we were not allowed family visits. We were only offered a straw mat and a prison blanket. We were distressed by only having two prison dresses because we were not allowed to take baths for a month as punishment. Because this was rainy season, our cells were flooded. Prison authorities did not do anything for us even we informed them about this situation. I could not sit or sleep, and had to stand on the second level of the iron door.
When my family visited Insein, I was not there. Therefore, they asked the prison authorities about me, but received no answers. Nearly two months later, my family was informed of my whereabouts. Then, the superintendent of Insein prison was Bo Kyi, and the Director was Khin Maung Latt.
When we were allowed family visits again after the punishment, we were not allowed to have them on the same day, only one a week. Like Insein, we were not allowed to talk about political matters, and there were two wardens who took note of our conversations. When prison authorities purposefully oppressed us without reason, we refused to eat what they offered and started a hunger strike. Then, prison authorities arrived at once and asked us why we were on the strike. They agreed to almost all our demands because we five were the first female political prisoners, and they seemed not to want a bad reputation again. We five were put in a cellblock alone. Our cell was a little bit far away from the other cells and wards.
My health rather deteriorated there. When I arrived there, I had wounds and my head was even bleeding. I did not get any medical treatment, though I informed the prison authorities about my wounds. I had heart disease and I became unconscious one night. My four comrades informed the prison authorities and medical officers to come help me. My comrades shouted when nobody came to me. Later, prison authorities arrived and treated me because my comrades claimed, “If one of our comrades die, your prison will be burnt down.” Prison authorities took care of me all night long, and they left when I felt better. Health care in prison was careless and insufficient. When prisoners needed medicine, they had to pay bribes to the wardens to get pills. Medical treatment was almost nothing.
I was released from Tharawaddy prison on January 5, 1993. The superintendent told me that I was released due to the Amnesty 11/92. We, my comrades and I, agreed not to sign any agreements to be released, “We cannot sign an agreement not to be involved in political activities again if the MI forces us to sign. We will involve ourselves again and again in political movements. Therefore, instead of signing the agreement, we will live in prison until we complete our sentences.” A female warden heard our conversation and she informed the prison authorities. We were taken by the MI and questioned about for our personal information. Soon after, I, the prisoner with the most prolonged sentence, six years, among the five, was released first without signing any agreements. Though the MI tried to confuse us, we understood each other very well. I was taken to my home, but was not given my release warrant.
When I was at home again, my relatives, who were in government service, did not dare interact with me. They did not want me to visit them. They thought they would be fired because of me. Therefore, I did not live with my family, but instead moved to a private hostel. Nevertheless, my political friends and comrades encouraged and treated me warmly.