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Imprisoned students’ leader in declining health

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Mar 4, 2009 (DVB), The sister of 88 generation students’ leader, Min Ko Naing, who is currently imprisoned in Kengtung jail in eastern Burma, has said he has been suffering from poor health due to lack of exercise.

"I am mainly concerned that he might have a stroke due to the high blood pressure," Kyi Kyi Nyunt said.

She said he has been suffering from immobility in his hands and high blood pressure.

"I left with him some medicines. It would better if there is a regular doctor at the prison."

Kyi Kyin Nyunt was allowed only 20 minutes to talk with her brother, having travelled hundreds of miles from Rangoon to reach Kengtung in eastern Burma.

She also said the prison authorities also revoked a permission previously granted to him to receive books and magazines from the outside.

"We previously made a deal with a local bookshop to send him books and magazines regularly but lately the prison authorities have laid probation on that too."

"If possible I want the authorities to allow family members coming from afar, at least for two days , forty minutes for each time," she said.

"The time was up before we could tell each other about ourselves."

Meanwhile, the wife of Mandalay NLD member Shwe Maung, who is currently imprisoned in Pyapon jail, says that he has been suffering gastric diseases.

"I gave him some medicines, but we are living in constant fear for his health," Than Than Win said. "When he was in Insein jail, I was able to see him once a month. Now I can’t even do it one in two months."

During her last trip, she had to travel to Pyapon with her 18-month old daughter by bus and boat, she added.

"I lost the food basket I brought for him. We vomited all the way. We are in big trouble for sending him to somewhere faraway."

Htay Htay Win, the mother of All Burma Federation Students Unions' member, De Nyein Lin, also said she finds it hard to see her son at Khamdee jail in the northern tip of Burma once every two months due to financial difficulties.

Reporting by Naw Say Phaw

Migrants fear for safety following crackdown

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Mar 4, 2009 (DVB), Burmese migrants in Thailand report being concerned for their safety following Thai authorities' intense crackdowns on migrants over the past two weeks, according to a migrant activist group in Thailand.

Bangkok-based Labour Rights Promotion Network Foundation says the migrants are devoid of safe places to sleep through fear they may get arrested by Thai police when they go back to their houses.

LPN also claim the Thai police officers were not following legal procedures in dealing with the detained migrants and were releasing those who agreed to pay bribes.

"There is no proper deportation procedure for the migrants who get arrested," said research coordinator at LPN, Ko Ko Aung.

Khun Patina, deputy director of LPN, said that most of the migrants were arrested from factories they were working in and freed in exchange for money.

"But then, they were left with no money at all after paying all the bribes," she added.

Ko Ko Aung also alleged that the recent activity by the Thai authorities was due to remarks made by the Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva that the illegal immigrant issue is a threat to national security.

He added that some female migrants carrying their newborn babies were facing difficulties keeping their children safe from harmful diseases when they went into hiding in mosquito and insect-infested scrublands.

"This is a very dangerous situation for those babies," he said.

Reporting by Thurein Soe

Two bomb blasts hit Rangoon

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Mar 4, 2009 (DVB), Two bomb blasts occurred in Burma's former capital Rangoon last night, one of which happened near Padonma Park where government troops are deployed.

No one was injured in the blasts, according to police.

The first explosion took place around 9:30pm on Tuesday evening at the corner of Padonma Park in San Chaung township.

About one hour later another bomb went off near a traffic light at Hle Dan intersection in Kamaryut township. The Kamaryut police said the case was being investigated by provincial authorities.

A resident in San Chaung pointed that out it was strange that anyone could manage to plan the attack at the Padonma Park where a lot of government security troops were deployed.

Reporting by Naw Say Phaw

Youth attacked by night watchmen

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Mar 3, 2009 (DVB), A youth was hospitalised with a broken hand after being attacked by night watchmen in Rangoon’s South Dagon new town on 28 February.

The incident occurred in Ward 70 after a bus conductor named Lin Lin Tun, who was returning from work around 1am, was chased by a dog and threw a stone at it.

The stone missed the dog and hit a bucket situated beneath a guardhouse, waking up the five sleeping watchmen in the process.

The watchmen then attacked him and the victim was left with a broken right hand and a cracked rib, a relative said.

"The watchmen reported it to the ward authority and they notified us at 4am," said the relative.

"He was lying there for three hours. When he regained consciousness, we sent him to the hospital and reported it to the police but no one came to get evidence from him yet."

Although the attackers are known to local people, the local police said they are still investigating the incident.

"We don't know who the attackers are except that they are five unknown people," said a police officer.

"We still have to ask the victims who the attackers were and we are carrying out an investigation. They will be punished accordingly," he said.

Local people said night watchmen have been sleeping on duty and bullying local people. The victim’s relatives are planning to report the incident to SPDC chairman General Than Shwe at Naypyidaw.

Reporting by Thurein Soe

Generation Wave activists sentenced

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Mar 3, 2009 (DVB), Generation Wave members Nyein Chan and Aung Ko Min were handed down jail terms by Sanchaung township court on 27 February for distributing leaflets marking the one-year anniversary of the group's formation.

The two are currently being held at Insein prison and will be transferred to remote prisons.

Nyein Chan was sentenced to eight years under section 6 of Unlawful Associations Act and section 17(1) of Immigration Act. He still faces further charges.

Aung Ko Min was sentenced to five years with the Unlawful Association Act, a relative of theirs said.

They were arrested at home on 10 October 2008, a day after the first anniversary of the formation of GW. Eight more members were arrested on the same day, GW member Moe Thway said.

"We distributed leaflets on 9 October to mark the anniversary and they were arrested in connection with that," he said.

"Others arrested were Zin Min Aung, Aung Paing, Yeh Khaung Htut from south Okkalapa. Arkar (also known as Kyaw Thu Myo Myint) was arrested three or four days later and sentenced to 10 years."

They were all transferred to remote jails at Kawthaung, Taungoo, Kyaukpyu and Mong Sat.

Reporting by Nan Kham Kaew

NLD youth member transferred to remote prison

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Mar 2, 2009 (DVB), National League for Democracy youth member Thiha, who was sentenced to 22 years in prison in 2007 for treason and distributing leaflets, has been transferred to a remote prison in northern Kachin state.

Thiha, from Meikhtila, was transferred on 24 February by train from Insein prison to Pu-tao prison.

"He told a woman passenger and gave her the phone number and told her to ring me that he was transferred to Pu-tao jail," said his wife Theh Theh.

"The woman sympathised and rang me and said that he showed her his son’s photo," she said. "My wife is in Meikhtila he told her."

Thiha was arrested on 7 September 2007 while on his way home from a meeting prior to the Saffron Revolution. Theh Theh was six months pregnant at the time and their son is now 11 months old.

On the 17 September, he was summarily tried without a legal representative and sentenced to 22 years in Mandalay Ohpo jail.

He was then transferred to Insein jail in Rangoon, where he was held for a year and six months before being transferred to Pu-tao jail.

"I have not seen him for more than a year now," said Theh Theh. "His situation could get worse at Pu-tao."

Thiha was also arrested after Depayin incident in May 2003 in which Aung San Suu Kyi and NLD supporters were attacked by regime-backed militias.

He was sent to Khandee prison in Sagaing division, where he was blind-folded and imprisoned in an isolated cell for six months.

Reporting by Nan Kham Kaew

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