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UPDATE MYANMAR: Journalist Win Tin Released
September 26, 2008
The Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) of International PEN welcomes the release of veteran journalist and pro-democracy activist Win Tin, who has been imprisoned for over 19 years, one of the longest serving prisoners on PEN’s records. International PEN welcomes his amnesty, but reiterates its concern about the number of writers still detained in Myanmar, and calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all those currently detained in violation of their right to freedom of expression and association as protected in the United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights.
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Win Tin, aged 79, was one of 9,002 prisoners reportedly amnestied around the country by the Myanmar military junta, on 23 September 2008, as a ‘goodwill gesture’. It is not known if other political prisoners have been included in this amnesty. Win Tin stated that he would continue to wear his prison uniform and that he will carry on campaigning for democracy in Myanmar. He reported being in good health despite recent reports of illness.
Background
Win Tin is the former editor-in-chief of Hanthawati and was Vice President of the Journalist’s and Writer’s Association of Burma. He had also been literary and arts critic and author of various articles critical of the authorities. He is a close confidante of the National League for Democracy (NLD) leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. Aung San Suu Kyi, herself under house arrest for much of the past 20 years, has on many occasions appealed for Win Tin’s release. Win Tin is said to have consistently refused to sign a document disassociating himself from the NLD which would have secured his release earlier.
Win Tin was arrested in July 1989 and originally sentenced to three years in prison for harboring an “offender for whom a warrant had been issued” – charges that were apparently fabricated. In 1992 he was sentenced to an additional 11 years in prison for a variety of offenses linked to his opposition activities. In March 1996 he was among 21 Insein Prison detainees who were tried for having published a clandestine magazine inside the prison and possessing radio sets. For this he received another seven years, bringing the total sentence to 20 years. He was not due to be freed until July 2009.
Win Tin was awarded UNESCO’s World Press Freedom Award in 2000 and the World Association of Newspaper’s Golden Pen of Freedom Award in 2001. He is an Honorary Member of the Hong Kong (English) and Japan centers of International PEN.
For Amnesty International background on Win Tin’s case, see:
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA16/016/2008/en/ae06b928-49e4-11dd-9394-c975c4bd488d/asa160162008eng.html
For the BBC’s country profile on Myanmar see:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1300003.stm