The number of political prisoners AAPP can confirm behind bars and the location of their prisons is now 471 ; 465 more are under the verification process.

April witnessed a series of unprecedented visits by foreign leaders and diplomats, and an international rush to lift some of the long standing sanctions on Burma. However, this should not blur the fact that hundreds of political prisoners are still imprisoned and that the treatment they are given fails to comply with international standards.

Phyo Wai Aung, a detainee who has been awaiting his verdict for over 2 years in Insein prison, is in need of urgent medical treatment. Prison authorities, however, refuse to hospitalize him in an outside hospital where he can see a specialist. His case exemplifies the fact that prisoners are frequently deprived of vital medical care, a sanction that very often put them in life threatening situations.

Arrests, interrogations and imprisonments of those who resist and challenge land confiscations and forced evictions have continued in April. For instance, in Lewe Township, 3 villagers who resisted eviction were jailed for six months, and an appeal on behalf of 6 others who were sentenced in March was rejected by a district court.

Finally, a number of Buddhist monks released from prison during the recent amnesty are continuously harassed by the police and are being forced out of their monasteries. As before, it seems that President U Thein Sein’s regime remains deeply distrustful of the monks in Burma.

As the world commends Burma’s nominally civilian government’s first steps towards democracy, there is a growing concern that the international community may be moving too quickly in relaxing sanctions against it. “The EU has suspended sanctions knowing that its own benchmarks on Burma have not been met: the unconditional release of all political prisoners and a cessation of attacks against ethnic minorities”.

Assistance Association for Political Prisoners - Released on 7 May 2012, updated 9 June 2012