The International Secretariat of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Myanmar/ Burma.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by a reliable source and Antenna International, a member organisation of OMCT SOS-Torture Network, about the poor health condition of Mr. Khun Tun Oo, a senior political leader of the Shan, the largest of Myanmar’s ethnic minorities, member of the Committee Representing People’s Parliament (CRPP)[1] and chairman of the political party Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, as a result of harsh conditions of detention in Putao prison, where he is serving a 93-year prison sentence.
According
to the information received, Mr. Khun Tun Oo, 67 years, is suffering
from various health problems, among others, diabetes, peptic ulcer,
and arthritis. He has also swollen legs due to lack of exercise and
medical treatment. Furthermore, Putao prison,
which is located in Kachin State in
the north of the country, is reportedly cold and damp, and therefore
conditions are very harsh.
OMCT
has also been informed that Mr. Khun Tun Oo’s family members have
barely been permitted to visit him, also because he is detained in a
remote prison, situated far away from the family’s residence.
According to the same information, Mr. Khun Tun Oo is not getting the
adequate medical attention, and is not permitted to get a medical
check-up outside the prison, although the family has applied for
permission on several occasions.
Mr. Khun Tun Oo was arrested on 9 February 2005 along with Major General Hso Ten, a member of the Shan State Peace Council, as well as with Mr. Sai Hla Aung and Mr. Sai Nyunt Lwin, both members of State Army North Ceasefire Group and Shan National League for Democracy, after they attended a private meeting of senior political representatives to discuss the authorities' plans for political transition, on 7 February 2005. All four men were charged, among other things, of high treason and sentenced to lengthy prison terms. They were allegedly held incommunicado for some time during their detention and suffered acts of ill-treatment. During the court hearings they were not granted unconditional access to lawyers of their choice.
OMCT
is also gravely concerned about the health condition of Mr.
Sai Hla Aung and General Hso Ten. Mr. Sai Hla Aung, who is being held
in Kyaukphyu prison, in Arakan State,
serving a 79-years prison sentence, is reportedly suffering of a
hyperthyroid condition, diabetes and heart disease. General Hso Ten,
74 years old, is suffering from a number of health problems, among
others, diabetes and heart problems, and he is at high risk of
loosing his eyesight, but he has been denied any medical treatment.
He is currently detained in Sittwe Prison, in Arakan State,
serving a 106 year sentence. Nothing is known to date about the
health situation of Mr. Sai Nyunt Lwin,
sentenced to 85-years in prison.
The International Secretariat of OMCT expresses its deepest concern about the health conditions of Mr. Khun Tun Oo, Major General Hso Ten, Mr. Sai Hla Aung and Mr. Sai Nyunt Lwin, and urges the competent authorities to grant them immediate access to independent medical doctors and to guarantee that they receive adequate medical care as provided for by international human rights standards, including the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.
In Myanmar/ Burma, prison conditions are very harsh (including poor sanitation, unclean water and denial of adequate food) and being held behind bars can have life-threatening consequences. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) has recorded the deaths of 146 political activists during incarceration since 1988, as a direct result of severe torture, denial of food and medical treatment. Many others remain currently detained and are in poor health due to harsh prison conditions and denial of adequate medical care[2]. The authorities also systematically transfer political prisoners to remote prisons, far from their families and where there are no doctors. This affects adversely on both the prisoners’ physical and mental health.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Myanmar/ Burma urging them to:
i. Guarantee, in all circumstances, the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Khun Tun Oo, Major General Hso Ten, Mr. Sai Hla Aung and Mr. Sai Nyunt Lwin;
ii. Immediately release them on medical urgent grounds;
iii. Guarantee unconditional and regular access to their respective lawyers and families, as well as guarantee that they are promptly examined by independent medical doctors and receive adequate medical care in accordance with, inter alia, the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners;
iv. Ensure the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses
Minister for Home Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, No. 10 Naypyidaw, Myanmar; Tel: +95 67 412 040/ 069/ 072; Fax: +95 67 412 016/ 439; E-mail: ddg.gad@gad.gov.mm
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Nyan Win, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bldg. (19), Naypyitaw, Myanmar
Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General, 101 Pansodan Street, Kyauktada Township, Yangon, Myanmar, Fax: + 95 1 371 028/ 282 449 / 282 990
Permanent Mission of Myanmar to the United Nations in Geneva, 47 avenue Blanc, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland, Tel: + 41 22 906 98 70; Fax: + 41 22 732 89 19; Email: mission.myanmar@ties.itu.int
Please also write to the diplomatic representations of Myanmar/ Burma in your respective country.
***
Geneva, 17 February 2011.
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
[1] The CRPP was formed in 1998 as result of a coalition agreement between National League for Democracy (NLD) and other ethnic parties among which also is the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD). The CRPP was consequence of the ongoing refusal of the Burman Military Junta to recognize the results of the 1990 elections.
[2] See also for example OMCT Urgent appeal MMR 211210.
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