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AP-Myanmar Frees Political Prisoner



Friday February 12 2:25 AM ET

Myanmar Frees Political Prisoner

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Citing humanitarian considerations, the military
government in Myanmar has released a noted political prisoner who was
reportedly suffering health problems.

Ma Thida, 34, had been said by family members to be suffering a lung
infection and generally deteriorating health since she was sentenced to 20
years imprisonment in 1993.

Ma Thida, freed Thursday, was known to be close to pro-democracy leader Aung
San Suu Kyi, winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize, and student activists who
have struggled against military rule since 1988.

She was said to have treated fellow prisoners for health problems in the
prison system, which has been said by human-rights groups to be rife with
AIDS and poorly equipped for health care.

The government said in an information bulletin sent to news organizations in
Bangkok that Ma Thida had been pardoned and freed ``on consideration of
humanitarian grounds.'' It did not elaborate.

Ma Thida was convicted of violating several security laws for illegally
distributing materials published by armed terrorist groups and unlawful
organizations, the statement said.

The military has ruled Myanmar, also known as Burma, since 1962. Suu Kyi was
propelled to the forefront of the democracy movement in 1988 when an
uprising against military rule was crushed.

The New Light of Myanmar, a state-run newspaper, reported Thursday that 153
members of Suu Kyi's political party, the National League for Democracy,
have resigned.

The government has said that more than 10,000 members of the National League
for Democracy have voluntarily resigned, and more than 40 township party
offices have been closed since September.

Suu Kyi and other NLD leaders have said the resignations were coerced by
authorities.



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