September 18, 2002

U Aung May Thuu, one of the political prisoners in Burma who have been under detention despite their releases dates were due, died at Rangoon General Hospital at 17:00 on September 17, 2002.

According to his family who had visited him on the previous day, 16 September 2002, U Aung May Thuu had no specific illness and was in good spirits. Yet the authority concerned did not reveal the cause of his sudden death officially.

U Aung May Thuu, 61 at his death, had started his political career by activating in several movements since his student life. He also enthusiastically supported the activities of the political parties including the National League for Democracy after 1988. It had been the main reason that the military junta arrested him on November 6, 1989. He was then sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment under Article 5 (j), 17 (1) and (2) by a martial court. According to that sentence, his imprisonment had already been completed in the year 1999 but the military junta neglected his due release and in spite of this continue to detain him under another Article "10(A)". Records from Assistance Association for Political Prisoners shows that 34 political prisoners are still detained in prisons of Burma despite they have served their original sentences.

The same instance could be seen in the past when the military junta, then the so-called BSPP, disbanded all the existing parties and institutions and arrested thousands of politicians. U Aung May Thuu was also arrested and detained at Insein prison in 1965. When the junta transferred most prominent politicians to the notorious Coco Island, he was one of the politicians who had been sent to that Prison Island.

After eight politicians died in the famous hunger-strike demanding for the complete abolishment of the island program, U Aung May Thuu, together with the survived political prisoners was sent back to Insein Prison in 1972. After arriving back at Insein Prison, he was released in 1973.

According to the latest information we have collected U Aung May Thuu has been the 72nd political prisoner who died in custody.

AAPP