Amensty Worldwide Appeal for Ma Thi

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/* Written  7:17 am  Mar  1, 1994 by aa793@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx in igc:soc.cult.burma */
/* ---------- "Amensty Worldwide Appeal for Ma Thi" ---------- */



The following is a Worldwide Appeal from a recent Amenesty Internationl
Bulletin:

Myanmar

Ma Thida

Ma Thida, a 27-year-old medical doctor and well know short story writer,
is currently serving a 20-year sentence imposed on Oct.15, 1993.  Ma Thida
is prominent among the country's political opposition and had earlier been
the campaing asistant to prisoner of consience Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel
Peace Prize laureate and one of the founders of the National League for
Democracy (NLD), Myanmar's main opposition party.

Ma Thida was arrested with ten others on Aug. 7, 1993.  They were held
incommunicado before being brought to trial on Sept. 27 on charges of
"endangering public tranquility", having contact with unlawful
associations and distributing unlawful literature.  All 11 were tried
under legislation used by the military authorities to suppress peaceful
political opposition activity.  The military regained control of the
country in a coup d'etat in 1988 following months of nationwide
prodemocracy demonstrations.

The other ten defendants alos received 20-year sentences.

AI believes that Ma Thida was arrested and imprisoned solely forher
non-violent activities within the NLD, a party which was established
during the 1988 pro-democracy movement and which enjoys public support.

Please send appeals urgin the immediate and unconditional release of Ma
Thida.

Write to:

Senior General Than Shwe
Chairman
State Law and Order Restoration Council
c/o Ministry of Defence
Signal Pagoda Road
Yangon 
Union of Myanmar

Salutation: Dear Chairman

You can also write to:

Mr. Phae Thann Oo
Charge d'Affaries
Embassy of the Union of Myanmar
The Sandringham Apartments
85 Range Road, Suite 902
Ottawa, Ont.
K1N 8J6
fax (613) 232 -6423

Salutation:Dear Mr. Phae Thann Oo


-- 
michael j wilson         | "Only that day dawns to which we are awake." |
ottawa ontario canada    |                             -   Thoreau      |     
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