Information Release
July 31, 2002

Four political prisoners from Insein Prison, Rangoon, are now in Rangoon General Hospital (RGH) as their health conditions has gone from bad to worse.

Aye Tha Aung, an ethnic leader, serving 21 years prison period, has been suffering from lung cancer (Sources from Rangoon). His colleagues in Rangoon said that his health condition was good before he was sent to prison. Aye Tha Aung is now over 50 years old.

Dr. Than Nyein, MP-elect, has been suffering from liver problem. He is now 65.

Htway Myint, a veteran politician in his seventies, has been suffering from heart condition and facing general health problems due to his age.

Win Tin, 73-year-old journalist who stayed in notorious Insein prison for 13 years, has been suffering Benign Prostatic Hphertrophy and Bleeding Pile.

The medical doctors in RGH are reportedly not allowed to give any treatment to the political prisoners without the permission of the military authorities. The patients currently detain in Guard Ward in the RGH are waiting for the treatment.

Relatives and friends of prisoners are worried about their lives, according to activists in Rangoon.

While Burmese media outside the country mentioned about the health condition of those four people, the regime that recently freed 36 activists from prisons says nothing.

At least, 70 activists were reportedly died in prisons around Burma for horrendous prison condition, torture and poor medical care.

"We want to urge the authorities to free those four political prisoners unconditionally instead of waiting for their last day here on this Earth," said Tate Naing, secretary of Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) (AAPP), bases in Thai-Burma border.