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Families of political prisoners barely scraping by
Irrawaddy - February 21, 2011
Kyi Wai, Rangoon – "There's a wooden wall in front and the house leans to the right as if it's about to collapse. If you just shout the name Thin Thin Yu, someone will come out," said a woman walking along Badaythar 2 street in Rangoon's western Hlaing Tharyar Township while carrying a jar of water on her shoulder.
Her description was accurate, so further up the street I easily found the house I was looking for – that of political prisoners Tin Yu, who is currently serving a nine and a half year sentence in Kalay Prison, and his son Than Zaw Myint, who is currently serving an 11 year sentence in Thaton Prison.
Inside the old wooden house – which was only about 10-15 feet wide – was a sad-looking woman wearing a worn-out white blouse who looked to be about 60-years-old. She was squatting on the floor and eating rice with baked shrimp-paste.
A short distance from her was another woman, about 30-years-old, who was putting Thanatkha – a fragrant liquid powder made from the bark of Muraya Exotica – on her round face that was framed by short black hair.
The elderly woman is the wife of Tin Yu and the mother of Than Myint Zaw; the younger woman is Thin Thin Yu, the daughter of Tin Yu and sister of Than Myit Zaw.
Thin Thin Yu said her father, over 60, was arrested around 2 a.m. On August 9, 2008 for his involvement in a prayer for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners. He was sentenced to seven and a half years imprisonment at 8 a.m. the same day by Rangoon's Western Hlaing Tharyar Court. Afterward, he was sent to Insein Prison, where he later received an additional two years for joining a prison protest.
Thin Thin Yu said that the entire responsibility to take care of the family fell on her shoulders following the imprisonment of the two men. She is now the only bread-winner and struggles as a fish-vendor to earn the living expenses of her six-member family – including the school expenses of two children and the cost of visits to see her father and brother.
She said the house has been mortgaged and the family barely survives, but expressed gratitude to well-wishers who have supported them as much as possible during a time of great hardship.
"The National League for Democracy (NLD) has supported us as much as it can," Thin Thin Yu said. "I'm grateful for its support and that of other people. I will definitely tell my father and brother about it."
When possible, Thin Thin Yu makes trips to see her father and brother, although it is difficult because she cannot see them both at the same time. Last month, she went to see her brother, Than Myint Zaw, who was wounded in the torso, head and ear while being beaten while under interrogation inside the prison and suffers from back-aches and ear-aches in cold weather.
Her father Tin Yu is also in bad health and is currently hospitalized in the Kalay Prison hospital.
"First, my father was transferred from Insein Prison to Khanti prison, located in Sagaing Division, in February 2010. He didn't receive any treatment there although his health deteriorated," said Thin Thin Yu. "I heard he was transferred to Kalay prison when his condition became worse, and he has been hospitalized in Kalay since he arrived there."
"He has high blood pressure and gastric problems," she said. "He is also blind so he has to stay in the hospital. I can't visit him every month. I can only go and see once every three or four months."
San Naing is another political prisoner, who is currently serving time for his involvement in an August 2007 protest against high commodity prices. San Naing was first detained for 40 days on May 15, 2007, but was arrested again in 2008 on the same charge and sentenced to nine and a half years in prison.
San Naing was the income provider for a seven member family that now barely survives. Inside his dilapidated hut, I saw a man and a woman about 70-years-old, both looking unhealthy, and two young children.
But San Naing younger brother, Myint San, said he is still very proud of him.
"My brother can't stand wrong-doing. He doesn't like unfairness either," said Myint San.
Myint San said that due to their financial hardship, his family has difficulty making prison visits on a regular basis. But he is grateful for the support given to his family by well-wishers and said such assistance is very helpful to the families of political prisoners.
Family members of another political prisoner, Kyi Myint, who is currently serving time in Insein Prison, also said they are thankful to friendly donors who give them monthly support.
"Political prisoners are very glad to know that they are now supported by well-wishers," said a relative of Kyi Myint.
Currently, over 2,000 political prisoners are serving prison terms in Burma.
On the 63rd anniversary of Burma's Independence Day, the NLD initiated a plan to provide assistance to political prisoners by well-wishers. According to the plan, those who are willing to support people who remain behind bars for their political activism pick the names of political prisoners they will help by playing a lucky draw.
Since 2000, the NLD's Central Social Welfare Aid Team has provided support to over 600 political prisoners, but the NLD still has the names of about 300 political prisoners who are waiting for help.
"There are many names left to be picked," said Tin Oo, the NLD's vice-chairman and the chairman of the Central Social Welfare Aid Team. "Therefore, we'd like to invite well wishers to come and play the lucky draw to pick names of political prisoners to support. For those who have already picked names, we'd like to ask them to meet with family members of related political prisoners and encourage them as much they can. The Central Social Welfare Aid Team will help those who find it difficult to reach prisoners at remote prisons."
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