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Women behind bars
Irrawaddy - October 17, 2011
The 63-year-old from Rangoon was freed as part of an amnesty announced by President Thein Sein on Oct. 11. Under the terms of the amnesty, 6,359 prisoners were released, of whom only about 200 were political dissidents.
Of those political dissidents released, approximately 30 were female, leaving between 50 and 100 female prisoners of conscience behind bars across the country.
San San Tin was arrested along with four other family members for participating in the Saffron Revolution in 2007 and for having alleged connections to the 88 Generation Students group.
She was sentenced to five years in prison under Article 505 (b) of the State Offenses Act, a vague catch-all clause that military courts in Burma have used over the years to jail poets, writers and bloggers such as Nay Phone Latt who was handed a 20-year sentence (later reduced to 12) for allegedly circulating an email containing a cartoon of Snr-Gen Than Shwe.
Also released last week under the amnesty were San San Tin's nephew, Chit Ko Lin, who had served four years in Pakkoku Prison in Magwe Division, and her niece, Noe Noe Aung, who was released from Maubin Prison in Irrawaddy Division.
Still detained, however, is another of San San Tin's nieces, Thet Thet Aung, and her brother-in-law, Kyaw Zwa Htay, both of whom are currently in remote Bahmo Prison in Kachin State serving 11-year sentences. "I only had one more week of my sentence left to serve," said San San Tin. "It was hardly an amnesty."
Originally handed a nine-year sentence, which was reduced to five after an appeal, then to four after an amnesty was called earlier this year, San San Tin said she found conditions in Meikthila Prison very hard.
She told The Irrawaddy that she shared a cell, perhaps 40m x 30m, with an average of 50 to 60 other female prisoners most of whom were serving time for drug smuggling, illegal gambling or prostitution. "There was only one toilet for everyone, and no privacy," she said. "The cell had very few windows and no air circulated. The smell was awful."
She said that the duty-doctor rarely appeared, and that she and the other inmates frequently suffered gastro-intestinal problems, gynecological infections and viruses.
According to Bo Kyi, the joint-secretary of the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), all prisoners – male and female, political and criminal – must rely on their families for medicines and food. "The families must pay bribes to the prison authorities who will then hand over the medicine to the prisoner," he said.
Observers say that many health problems become severe because political prisoners are routinely jailed in prisons far from their home towns, making it difficult for family members to keep in touch with them and bring them regular supplies.
Another female political detainee who was released from prison last week, Nimo Hlaing, said that the prisoners in Insein Prison receive better health care than those in remote prisons, such as Thayet Prison in Magwe Division, where she spent four years.
Noe Noe Aung, who spent a total of four years in Insein and Maubin prisons, said that although she wasn't forced to work in prison, other female prisoners have to work on farms or perform other hard labor.
Among the other women dissidents who were released from prison last week were labor rights activist Su Su Nway, Than Than Htay and Htet Htet Oo Wai.
May Win Myint, a physician who is also a member of the National League for Democracy's (NLD's) humanitarian team, said that although 50 to 100 female political activists remain behind bars, one must also consider that there are no less than 700 women in Burmese prisons who were jailed according to the State Offenses Act, the Electronics Act or other draconian laws.
Of this number, many are suffering from health problems. May Win Myint said that NLD member Thandar and an Arakanese named Khin Khin Nu are two who particularly require urgent treatment.
"Thandar has suffered from a heart attack while Khin Khin Nu has a liver disease contracted through Hepatitis C. They urgently require treatment," she said. She said many women in prison are also suffering from depression.
For those like San San Tin who have now been released, the battle has not yet been won.
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