March 8, 2001

The Norway-based Student Peace Prize Committee of the International Student Festival in Trondheim (ISFiT), under the theme of "Global Responsibility", awarded the Student Peace Prize to the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU) and its chairperson Min Ko Naing this year. We, Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma), is deeply thankful to the committee, which consists of student representatives from the four Norwegian universities, researchers and others with special knowledge about peace work and human rights. This prize goes not only to Min Ko Naing, but also to the Burmese people. We are very proud that Min Ko Naing was chosen to receive this award and we are sorry that he cannot accept this prize in person. Min Ko Naing was arrested on March 23, 1989. On March 23, 2001, he will have been in prison, in solitary confinement, for 12 years.

Min Ko Naing was arrested for asserting his beliefs about governmental reform, better education and freedom of association, such as the right form student unions. He was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment under Section 5 (j) of the 1950 Emergency Provisions Act and has been denied any legal defense.

He is kept isolated from other prisoners and has received no reduction in his sentence, despite the laws regarding the right to parole. In May 1992, the authorities gave amnesty to prisoners, reducing all sentences over ten years given before 1992 to ten years. Though, according to this amnesty law, Min Ko Naing has served his prison term, the authorities refuse to release him.

Information leaked out in the first few years of his imprisonment report that Min Ko Naing was subject to torture and beatings. In one instance, he was forced to stand in water for two weeks until he eventually collapsed. As a result of this torture, he lost all feeling in his left foot. AAPP is concerned with the state of his mental health after such a long period of solitary confinement.

Min Ko Naing was transferred from Insein Prison to Sittwe Prison, western Burma in 1998.

There are many prisons which are not very far away from Rangoon and his family. It is cleared that the authorities want to make it difficult for his aged parents to visit him and also cause him to feel depressed. His mother communicates that she frequently suffers from an illness caused by the stress of her son's long imprisonment and loneliness.

Almost twelve years after Min Ko Naing's leading role in pro-democracy, human rights and student rights activities, he remains the symbol of the students' demands for reform. The imprisoned student leader may not know that today he has been awarded the Student Peace Prize because freedom of expression is prohibited in the prisons of Burma, as well as in the rest of the country.

It is a suitable moment in time to respect and promote the protection of fundamental human rights as the authorities have been sponsoring human rights training courses for the military officers. We, AAPP, warmly welcome the recent release of 84 NLD members and encourage the military authorities to think about Min Ko Naing and other long-term political prisoners.

Lately there have been direct talks between the NLD and the military authorities. This is the first step in breaking the political deadlock and making Burma a democratic state. One of the first priorities on the agenda during these talks should be the unconditional release of Min Ko Naing and other political prisoners who have been serving long prison terms for their peaceful activities.

Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma)