March 25, 2005

We, the Independent Pen Organisation (IPO) and the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), are very pleased to know that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has awarded the Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize to Win Tin, for this year.

It is clear that the international community understands and is paying more attention to the lack of Democracy, Human Rights and freedom of expression of the Burmese people, especially the political prisoners.

The political prisoners were allowed to read and write when Burma was under the British colonial rule. The books written in the prison were published even under the governments before the 1962 military coup. The prisoners, however, have been allowed to read and write under the 26 years rule of military government, namely socialist government, and the 12 years rule of current military junta. A prisoner who even owns a piece of paper will be torture and put in the tiny cell. The condition of the writers and journalists who have been given long prison terms for their participation in the democracy and human rights activities are very horrible.

U Win Tin actively participated in the 1988 nationwide democracy uprising and he is one of the co-founders of the National League for Democracy together with Aung San Suu Kyi. When he was in that legal political party, he was arrested and sentenced to 3 years imprisonment in March 1989. U Win Tin was not released when his prison tern was finished; in fact, he was given another 11 years sentenced. On March 3, 1996, he was given additional 7 years imprisonment for writing about the violation of human rights to prisoners of conscience illegally detained in Insein Prison. The paper he wrote, which was address to the United Nation Secretary General together with other 21 political prisoners was founded by the military intelligence personnel and prison authorities. They were refused to have legal defense and no one was allowed to a trial.

This year's recipient of the Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize by the UNESCO showed the sympathy of the international community to the over 30 poets, writers and journalists who have been given long imprisonment and are facing terrible condition in prisons. Like U Win Tin, who is now older and very unhealthy, they all are put in prisons around Burma for their beliefs and peaceful activities for democracy and human rights. Under the 12-year rule of the current military regime, at least 5 writers have died as a result of torture and poor health care system. Therefore, the condition of present writers and journalists in prison are in great danger.

We, IPO and AAPP demand the Burmese military government to unconditionally release all the writers and journalists who are prisoners of conscience. We also request the freedom of expression for all political associations, writers and journalists in Burma.

Independent Pen Organisation (Burma)
Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma)