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ANNESTIY INTERNAIONAL REPORT 1998 ( (r)



Subject: ANNESTIY INTERNAIONAL REPORT 1998 (1/2)

ANNESTIY INTERNAIONAL REPORT 1998

More than 1,200 Political prisoners arrested in previous years, including
89 prisoner of conscience and hundreds possible prisoners of conscience,
remain in prison through the year. Hundred of people were arrested for
political reasons; although most were released 31-five of them prisoner of
conscience-were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment after unfair
trials. Political prisoners were ill-treatment. Members of ethnic
minorities continued to suffer human rights violations, including
extrajudicial executions and ill treatment during forced labour potering,
and forcible relocations.  Two people were sentenced to death.

Military leaders reorganized the State Law and Order Restoration Council
(SLORC) and changed its name to the State Peace and Development Council
(SPDC).  The SPDC continued to be chaired by General Than Shwe, and ruled
by decree in the absence of a constitution.  Martial law decrees severely
restricting the rights to freedom of expression and assembly remained in
force.

The National Convention, convened by SLORC in 1993 to agree principles for
a new constitution and adjourned in March 996, did not meet during the
year. Thought the year the National League Democracy (NLD), the local
opposition arty led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, appealed to the SLORC to enter
into a dialogue.  In July the SLORC held a meeting the senior NLD leaders;
however, Daw San Suu Kyi was not invited.  When called another meeting in
September, again excluding her, the refused to meet.  The SLORC permitted
the NLD hold a party congress of 700 people in September.

Cease-fire talks between the SLORC and e armed opposition group the Karen
National Union (KNU) broke down in January and in February the SLORC
launched a major offensive against remaining KNU positions in the Kayin
(Karen) State.  Some 20,000 Karen civilians fled to Thailand to escape the
fighting and human rights violations (see Thailand entry).  Skirmishes
between the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNP) and the government in
the Kayah State continued throughout the year. Fighting between the SLORC
and the Shan United Revolutionary Army, an armed Shan opposition group,
also continued in the Shan State.

Some 20,500 Rohinavas (Burmese Muslims from the Rakhine State) remained in
camps in Banaladesh.  Repatriation stopped in April, but resumed briefly in

Rohinogyas -were forcibly  returned to Mvanmar after the SLORC agreed to
accept 7,500 returnees (see Banoladesh entry).  There were no further
repatriations during the year.  Thousands of other Rohingyas, fleeing
property and ill-treatment during forced labour in the Rakhine State,
sought refuge in refugee  in Bangladesh during the first half of the year,
but were not allowed to enter refugee camps there.  Rohinagyas and other
ethnic minorities, including the Arakanese and Mro, were forced to work on
roads and bridges by the security forces in the Rakhine State.

In March, the UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar submitted his report to the
UN Commission on Human Rights.  In April, the Commission adopted by
consensus a resolution extending the Special Rapporteur's mandate for
another year and expressed grave concern at the extremely serious human
rights situation in Myanmar.


A similar resolution w adopted by consensus by the UN General Assembly in
December.  The Special Rapporteur continued to be denied access t Myanmar,
although officials in the UN Secretary -General's office visited Myanmar in
February and May.

In July Myanmar acceded to the Convention on the Elimination of Al Forms of
Discrimination against Women.

At an International Labour Organisation (ILO) conference in June, Myanmar's
failure to implement Convention No. 87 with regard to freedom of
association, which it ha ratified, was identified as a situation of
particular gravity.  The ILO was also carrying out a Commission of Enquiry
into Myanmar's failure to implement the provision of Convention No. 29 on
forced labour, t which it has been a party since 1955.

In March the Council of Ministers o the European Union suspended
preferential tariffs to Myanmar under the General sized System of
Preferences. In May the us Government implemented 1996 legislation which
prohibits any new us investment in Myanmar.  In July the Association o
South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) granted Myanmar full ASEAN membership.

Over 1,200 political prisoners arrested in previous years, including 89
prisoners of conscience and hundreds of possible prisoners of conscience,
remained in detention.  Hundreds of people were arrested for political
reasons during the year, although most of them were later released unchanged.

Prisoners of conscience and NLD leaders Dr Aung Khin Sint, U Win Htein, U
Aye Win and U Win Tin (see Amnesty International Report 1997) were reported
to be in poor health.  Dr Aung Khin Sint, U Win Tin and U Aye Win were
hospitalized for cardiac problems.

It became known that Nay Min, a prisoner of conscience arrested in 1988,
had been released in November 1996.

In May over 300 NLD party members were either arrested or threatened with
arrest when attempting to attend a party conference.  Those arrested were
released in June without charge.

At least 64 people, 31 of whom had been arrested during the year, were
sentenced to prison terms for their political activities after unfair
trials.  Five of the 31 were prisoners of conscience.  In April and May
respectively NLD activists Dr Than Aung and U Myo Khin, who had been rested
in February and May, were sentenced to four years' imprisonment criminal

charges which were political motivated.  They were both prisoners conscience.

In August the government sentenced Cho Aung Than, a cousin and former
assistant of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, his sister Nge Ma Ma Than and her
husband Myint Swe to 10 years' imprisonment allegedly passing money to the
NLD from foreign sources and helping to smuggle videotape of Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi Thailand.  The three, who had been arrested in June, were prisoners
of conscience Cho Aung Than was hospitalized in September for hypertension.

In January the SLORC sentenced 34 possible prisoners of conscience to seven
years' imprisonment for their involvement in the December 1996
demonstrations led by university students in support of hum rights and a
higher quality of education (see Amnesty International Report 1997).