November 19, 2003

The junta in Burma announced that they have released 58 prisoners including 9 persons over 65 years of age and 49 females either pregnant or with young children on November 17, 2003. We could not confirm how many of these people are in fact political prisoners. However, we have information that at least 33 political prisoners over 65 years of age are still in prison or under house arrest. Many of them have been in prison for 10 years and are suffering from serious illnesses. All together there are at least 1500 political prisoners in Burma. see attach