Date 14th June, 2004

U Min Thu, who was a fifty-year old political prisoner, died on 12th June 2004 at Insein Township Hospital due to heart disease. His funeral will be held at Yay Wayy Cemetery on 15th June 2004.

U Min Thu was a lawyer who lived in Lar Show, Shan State before he was detained.

He was sentenced for seven years by the Section 5 (J) of 1950 Emergency Provisions Act on 28th April 1998. He was arrested together with many students and politicians in 1998 for their help
and cooperation in compiling facts and evidence for The History of Students' Activities in Politics of Burma records, which was compiled by a student activist in 1996 and 1997.

The regime has imprisoned a lot of people for their activities in politics since 1988. There are about one thousand and five hundred people in the prisons of Burma for the time being. After the regime
seized the country, at least eighty political prisoners died in prison because of the regime's tortures, lack of medical treatment or medical mistreatment.

At least fifty prisoners are currently in poor health.