Amnesty: Six jailed for burying Nargis victims
Posted on May 4, 2009
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Nargis survivors queue up for food aid
Amnesty International is calling for the release of 21 people jailed by the Burmese government for trying to help survivors of Cyclone Nargis, including six who were sentenced for helping to bury victims.
The six are Dr Nay Win and his daughter Phyo Phyo Aung, Aung Kyaw San, Lin Htet Naing (aka Aung Thant Zin Oo), Phone Pyeit Kywe and Shein Yazar Tun. They were arrested in mid June 2008 after helping to bury victims in Bogale Township and were sentenced on April 10 to prison terms ranging from two to four years.
Cyclone Nargis swept ashore in Burma’s Irrawaddy Delta a year ago on May 2 2008. It left an estimated 140,000 people missing or dead and a further 800,000 homeless. Burma’s ruling military junta initially refused to acknowledge the size of the disaster and prevented international aid efforts from reaching survivors, while their own response was slow and failed to reach many of the people in most desperate need.
In the light of their own government’s slow response, many ordinary Burmese mobilised themselves to get aid to the region. Amnesty says besides the six, another 15 remain behind bars for their relief efforts.
In a statement issued today, Benjamin Zawacki, Amnesty International’s Burma researcher said, “’One year on, when we mark the first anniversary of Nargis, we should not forget those prisoners who are serving long sentences for trying to help their fellow Burmese. Indirectly they have also become victims of the cyclone.”
Amnesty is calling on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to urge the Burmese government (An ASEAN member) to release those who were imprisoned.
It said, “As the driving force behind the massive relief efforts – that also included the Burmese government and the United Nations – ASEAN has a duty to ensure that people delivering aid can do so without fear of intimidation or arrest.”
Amnesty estimates there are over 2,100 political prisoners in Burma.
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