Myanmar (Burma): Saw Naing Naing

Saw Naing Naing, aka U Naing Naing, aged 64, has been in prison for more than 14 of the last 16 years. Amnesty International considers Saw Naing Naing to be a prisoner of conscience, imprisoned solely for the peaceful exercise of his rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly, and calls for his immediate release on humanitarian grounds as he is suffering from a hernia and heart disease.

Saw Naing Naing is an elected Member of Parliament for the national league for Democracy (NLD), the main opposition party in Myanmar. The NLD won more than 80 per cent of seats in elections in 1990, but the authorities refused to recognise this result and have since imprisoned hundreds of NLD members and sympathisers.

Saw Naing Naing was arrested in September 2000 along with four other NLD members, who met at his house and wrote a statement protesting at restrictions against the NLD and the arrest of the party’s leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. They were sentenced to a total of 21 years’ imprisonment each: 14 years under a press law requiring official approval of anything written in the country; seven years under security legislation that allows the authorities to penalise any act they consider a threat to stability or security. The law’s vague wording has allowed authorities to use it extensively to criminalise many peaceful forms of dissent.

Saw Naing Naing was previously sentenced along with many other opposition figures for allegedly discussing the formation of a parallel government in October 1990. The majority were released in an amnesty in 1992. Saw Naing Naing was not released until January 1999.

During his first imprisonment he was deprived of food and water for extended periods, and on two occasions he was made to sleep in cells originally built as kennels for military dogs. The second of these occasions was as punishment for making a memorial for a political prisoner who had died in custody.

Saw Naing Naing’s current prison sentence expires in 2021, and he may be eligible for release with time off for good behaviour in late 2014.

Please send an letter to the Myanmar authorities calling for the immediate release of Saw Naing Naing.

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Senior General Than Shwe - Chairman

State Peace and
Development Council,
Ministry of Defence,
Signal Pagoda Road,
Dagon Post Office,
Yangon,
Union of Myanmar

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I am writing to you in regards to 64-year-old Saw Naing Naing, who is currently serving a 21-year prison sentence simply for the peaceful exercise of his rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly. I urge you to please release Saw Naing Naing immediately and unconditionally, as he is a prisoner of conscience.

I am particularly concerned for the health of Saw Naing Naing who I believe is suffering from a hernia and heart disease. Saw Naing Naing’s age and ill health should also be considered as humanitarian grounds for his release. Pending his release from prison, he should receive regular and unrestricted access to appropriate medical care and adequate nutrition, and he must not be tortured or ill-treated in any way.

Actions must be taken to improve the conditions of detention for all prisoners, in compliance with international standards, with emphasis on meeting nutritional needs and medical requirements. All prisoners of conscience in Myanmar must be immediately released, including, on humanitarian grounds, all those over the age of 60 and those with severe health problems.

The right to freedom of expression should be respected. Any legislation which allows the imprisonment of people who peacefully exercise this right should be repealed or amended to bring it into line with international standards.

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Myanmar (Burma): Saw Naing Naing

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