Political prisoners released under Thein Sein’s pity not under the rule of laws

Photo: SNLD

According to the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), the 23 political prisoners who were released before the scheduled visit of President Thein Sein to the United States did not sign any sworn statement, said news report from SHAN.

Under Section 401 it requires that any prisoner who was freed agrees that in case he/she will be arrested for a new offense he /she will have to serve the remaining term of his/her past offense as well as the new term as determined by the court of law.

The General Secretary of the SNLD SaiNood also known as Sai Nyunt Lwin disclosed that last May 17, the 23 newly released prisoners were not under Section 401. There were no suggested conditions on their release neither documents were signed by them.

Sai Nyunt Lwin, the Committee for Scrutinizing the Remaining Prisoners of Conscience (CSRPC), chaired by U Soe Thane, Minister of President’s Office # 3, had invited Aung San SuuKyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) and the SNLD to nominate one member each for the committee.

Aung San SuuKyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) and the SNLD were invited to elect one member each for the committee by Sai Nyunt Lwin, the Committee for Scrutinizing the Remaining Prisoners of Conscience (CSRPC), chaired by U Soe Thane, Minister of President’s Office # 3.

Sai Nyunt Lwin and NLD U Nyan Win were named by the Tiger Head (SNLD’s logo) but unfortunately when the announcement came, the name of Hkun HtunOo surfaced instead of his, the report said.