Myanmar: Individuals at Risk/Prisoners of Conscience
88 Generation Students: Htay Kywe (male); Mie Mie (female); Zaw Htet Ko Ko (male)
Although Group 11's previous POC U Win Tin and AIUSA Special Focus Case Khin Khin Leh were released in September of 2007 and February of 2008, respectively, the number of political prisoners in Myanmar is still more than 2,000 and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi is still infamously imprisoned. Group 11 has recently been assigned another POC case, consisting of three individuals.
Htay Kywe, Mie Mie and Zaw Htet Ko Ko were last arrested on 13 October 2007 for protesting the govrnment's sudden sharp increase in fuel prices. They have a history of peaceful dissent and non-violent activism, for which they have previously served time. At sentencing in November of 2008, Htay Kywe and Mie Mie each received prison terms of 65 years. Zaw Htet Ko Ko was originally sentenced to five years at hard labor and subsequently given another six-year sentence for disturbing the public tranquility - for a total of 11 years. Amnesty considers these members of the 88 Generation Students group, with origins in the massive pro-democracy uprising of 1988, to be prisoners of conscience, at risk of torture and unlikely to receive needed adequate medical treatment.
