Reported death of Myanmar dissident highlights information blackout

Oct 11, 2007, 2:51 GMT

   Yangon - The reported death by torture of a Myanmar dissident for the opposition party could not be confirmed in Yangon Thursday, testimony to the regime's complete clampdown on the information flow since its brutal crackdown on dissent last month.

   According to the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), Win Shwe, a member of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) died as a result of torture sustained at the Plate Myot Police Center near Mandalay.

   The NLD is led by Aung San Suu Kyi, the world's only imprisoned Nobel peace prize laureate. Suu Kyi has been under house arrest in near complete isolation since May 2003, and has spent about 12 of the past 18 years in confinement.   

   Win Shwe, 42, was reportedly arrested on September 26 for supporting monk-led demonstrations in the central city of Mandalay. His family were recently informed of his death while under interrogation but have not been given his body, according to the AAPP.

   'We can't confirm the report because we now have no contact with the districts,' said U Lwin, a spokesman for the NLD headquarters in Yangon.

   Although the security situation has eased somewhat in Yangon since the brutal crackdown on peaceful demonstrations last month, there are still reports of arrests at night of dissidents and of torture in the jails. Phone and internet connections are tenuous and constantly monitored.

   The real death toll from last month's democracy route remains a mystery and is likely to never be disclosed.

   There has been no independent investigation into the incident. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which used to have access to political prisoners in Myanmar, has been inactive in the country for months after relations soured with the junta.               Authorities claims that only 10 people died when riot police and soldiers attacked monks and laymen on September 26 to 27, beating them with batons and firing on crowds to put an end to weeks of peaceful anti-inflation marches that peaked at 100,000 people on September 24 to 25.

    Other sources within the country suspect the real death toll was closer to 200.        'Many dead bodies and injured persons were cremated or placed in the river,' said the AAPP. 'Some dead bodies of monks have appeared in the Pazundaung River in Rangoon in the past few days. In addition, many of those who have been arrested have been tortured during interrogation.'

   Western governments continue to express concerns about the ongoing reports of torture and deaths of detainees, with little impact on the regime.   

   'The United States is deeply troubled by reports of the death of Burmese dissident Win Shwe during interrogation by Burmese authorities,' said US government spokesman Sean McCormack in Washington.  

   'We renew our calls on the regime to release all political prisoners and, until they are released, to allow access by international humanitarian organizations to all detainees,' said McCormack.

   Meanwhile, in New York, Human Rights Watch called for an international embargo on arms sales to Myanmar.

   'It's time for the Security Council to end all sales and transfers of arms to a government that uses repression and fear to hang onto power,' said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. 'Instead of continuing to protect Burma's abusive generals, China and Russia should join other Security Council members to cut off the instruments of repression.'

   The group cited India for selling Burma aircraft and other military equipment, including plans to supply helicopters that could be used against political demonstrations or rural villages.

   China has also supplied arms, including helicopters that have been photographed supporting operations in areas where war crimes against civilians and ethnic minorities have been documented, Human Rights Watch said.

   North and South Korea and Israel have also sold weapons to the military government in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.