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"Appalling Conditions" for Jailed J



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         "Appalling Conditions" for Jailed Journalists in Burma

Paris, 9 April 2001

The World Association of Newspapers and World Editors Forum have called
on Burma to immediately release journalists San San Nweh and U Win Tin,
who are to receive the Golden Pen of Freedom award at the World
Newspaper Congress and World Editors Forum in Hong Kong in June.

The two journalists both suffer health problems and are being held in
appalling conditions, the Paris-based organisations said in a letter to
General Than Shwe, head of the Myanmar State Peace and Development
Council, as the military government of Burma is known.

The imprisonment of San San Nweh and U Win Tin "constitute a deep
blemish on the international standing of Myanmar which can only be
erased by their release," said the letter, signed by WAN President Roger
Parkinson and WEF President Ruth De Aquino.

San San Nweh, imprisoned in 1994 for "anti-government reports" and U Win
Tin, who was jailed in 1989, are the winners of the 2001 Golden Pen of
Freedom, the annual WAN press freedom prize.

The award, which was made in recognition of their outstanding
contribution to the cause of press freedom, is to be presented on 4 June
at the 54th World Newspaper Congress and 8th World Editors Forum in Hong
Kong, the annual meetings of the world's press.

Dissident writer San San Nweh, 57, was editor of two journals ­ Gita
Ppade-tha and Einmet-hpu ­ and is a novelist and poet.

She was imprisoned for ten years in August 1994 for "anti-government
reports" to French journalists and for "providing information about the
human rights situation to the UN special rapporteur for Burma."

She is reportedly sharing a tiny cell with three other political
'convicts' ­ forced to squat because of lack of head room, and allowed
to talk for only 15 minutes a day. She is suffering from liver disease,
arthritis, partial paralysis and eye problems.

U Win Tin is the former editor of the daily Hanthawati newspaper,
vice-chair of the Burmese Writers Association and a founder of the
National League of Democracy, Burma's main pro-democracy party, whose
landslide election victory in 1990 was not recognised by the military
regime.

He was arrested in 1989, tried in a closed military court and sentenced
to 14 years in prison for allegedly being a member of the banned
Communist Party of Burma. He has now served 11 years of that sentence.

According to information received by WAN, U Win Tin was crippled by
prison guards who beat him severely and repeatedly when he was being
held in the notorious Insein Prison. Accused of smuggling out letters
detailing the conditions in the prison, he was transferred to a former
guard-dog kennel and kept in solitary confinement for just under a year,
until he was sentenced to an additional five years imprisonment for
possessing writing materials.

In 1997, on the verge of death, U Win Tin was transferred from Myingyan
Jail to Rangoon General Hospital. According to reports, he is still in
jail and his sentence will only expire in 2008.

WAN, the global association of the newspaper industry, has awarded the
Golden Pen annually since 1961. Past winners include Argentina's Jacobo
Timerman (1980), Russia's Sergei Grigoryants (1989), and Vietnam's Doan
Viet Hoat (1998). The 2000 winner was Nizar Nayouf of Syria.

Editors: Photos and more information are available for use from the WAN
website, www.wan-press.org/golden_pen/campaign2001/launch.html.

WAN defends and promotes press freedom world-wide. It represents 17,000
newspapers; its membership includes 67 national newspaper associations,
individual newspaper executives in 93 countries, 17 news agencies and
eight regional and world-wide press groups. The WEF is the division of
WAN that represents senior news executives.

Inquiries to: Larry Kilman, Director of Communications, WAN, 25 rue
d'Astorg, 75008 Paris France. Tel: +33 1 47 42 85 00. Fax: +33 1 47 42
49 48. Mobile: +33 6 10 28 97 36. E-mail: lkilman@xxxxxxxxxxx

The information contained in this press release/update is the sole
responsibility of WAN. In citing this material for broadcast or
publication, please credit WAN.



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<center><b><font color="#3333FF"><font size=+1>"Appalling Conditions" for
Jailed Journalists in Burma</font></font></b></center>

<p><font size=+1>Paris, 9 April 2001</font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>The World Association of Newspapers
and World Editors Forum have called on Burma to immediately release journalists
San San Nweh and U Win Tin, who are to receive the Golden Pen of Freedom
award at the World Newspaper Congress and World Editors Forum in Hong Kong
in June.</font></font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>The two journalists both suffer
health problems and are being held in appalling conditions, the Paris-based
organisations said in a letter to General Than Shwe, head of the Myanmar
State Peace and Development Council, as the military government of Burma
is known.</font></font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>The imprisonment of San San Nweh
and U Win Tin "constitute a deep blemish on the international standing
of Myanmar which can only be erased by their release," said the letter,
signed by WAN President Roger Parkinson and WEF President Ruth De Aquino.</font></font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>San San Nweh, imprisoned in 1994
for "anti-government reports" and U Win Tin, who was jailed in 1989, are
the winners of the 2001 Golden Pen of Freedom, the annual WAN press freedom
prize.</font></font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>The award, which was made in recognition
of their outstanding contribution to the cause of press freedom, is to
be presented on 4 June at the 54th World Newspaper Congress and 8th World
Editors Forum in Hong Kong, the annual meetings of the world's press.</font></font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>Dissident writer San San Nweh, 57,
was editor of two journals &shy; Gita Ppade-tha and Einmet-hpu &shy; and
is a novelist and poet.</font></font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>She was imprisoned for ten years
in August 1994 for "anti-government reports" to French journalists and
for "providing information about the human rights situation to the UN special
rapporteur for Burma."</font></font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>She is reportedly sharing a tiny
cell with three other political 'convicts' &shy; forced to squat because
of lack of head room, and allowed to talk for only 15 minutes a day. She
is suffering from liver disease, arthritis, partial paralysis and eye problems.</font></font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>U Win Tin is the former editor of
the daily Hanthawati newspaper, vice-chair of the Burmese Writers Association
and a founder of the National League of Democracy, Burma's main pro-democracy
party, whose landslide election victory in 1990 was not recognised by the
military regime.</font></font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>He was arrested in 1989, tried in
a closed military court and sentenced to 14 years in prison for allegedly
being a member of the banned Communist Party of Burma. He has now served
11 years of that sentence.</font></font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>According to information received
by WAN, U Win Tin was crippled by prison guards who beat him severely and
repeatedly when he was being held in the notorious Insein Prison. Accused
of smuggling out letters detailing the conditions in the prison, he was
transferred to a former guard-dog kennel and kept in solitary confinement
for just under a year, until he was sentenced to an additional five years
imprisonment for possessing writing materials.</font></font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>In 1997, on the verge of death,
U Win Tin was transferred from Myingyan Jail to Rangoon General Hospital.
According to reports, he is still in jail and his sentence will only expire
in 2008.</font></font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>WAN, the global association of the
newspaper industry, has awarded the Golden Pen annually since 1961. Past
winners include Argentina's Jacobo Timerman (1980), Russia's Sergei Grigoryants
(1989), and Vietnam's Doan Viet Hoat (1998). The 2000 winner was Nizar
Nayouf of Syria.</font></font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>Editors: Photos and more information
are available for use from the WAN website, www.wan-press.org/golden_pen/campaign2001/launch.html.</font></font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>WAN defends and promotes press freedom
world-wide. It represents 17,000 newspapers; its membership includes 67
national newspaper associations, individual newspaper executives in 93
countries, 17 news agencies and eight regional and world-wide press groups.
The WEF is the division of WAN that represents senior news executives.</font></font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>Inquiries to: Larry Kilman, Director
of Communications, WAN, 25 rue d'Astorg, 75008 Paris France. Tel: +33 1
47 42 85 00. Fax: +33 1 47 42 49 48. Mobile: +33 6 10 28 97 36. E-mail:
lkilman@xxxxxxxxxxx</font></font>
<p><font color="#660000"><font size=+1>The information contained in this
press release/update is the sole responsibility of WAN. In citing this
material for broadcast or publication, please credit WAN.</font></font>
<br>&nbsp;
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