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Indiatimes -Myanmar releases pro-de

Subject: Indiatimes -Myanmar releases pro-democracy economist 

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Myanmar releases pro-democracy economist=20
YANGON: Myanmar's military government has released from prison a noted =
economics writer, a former senior member of the pro-democracy party of =
Aung San Suu Kyi.=20

A Myanmar government statement on Monday said Moe Thu, 62, also known as =
Sein Myint, the former editor of the popular economics magazine Danna, =
was freed from Yangon's Insein Jail on January 3 on humanitarian grounds =
following the death of his wife. He was jailed for rallying crowds =
without permission in June 1996 in the name of Suu Kyi's National League =
for Democracy, it said, without mentioning the duration of his sentence. =


A friend who saw him after his release last week said Moe Thu was in =
good health. Also Monday, the All Burma Federation of Student Unions - =
an underground movement that has been a driving force behind =
anti-military protests - reported that more than 20 democracy advocates =
were imprisoned for terms of 25 years or more on December 3.=20

The military government did not immediately comment on the report of the =
sentences. In a statement received in Bangkok, the federation said the =
activists were jailed for pro-democracy activities that included =
agitating for protests on September 9, 1999. The date had been seen as =
auspicious by dissidents but few if any demonstrations took place.=20

The federation named four students and teachers from Bago, a city 80 =
kilometers northeast of Yangon, whom it said were tortured during =
interrogation and jailed for life. It did not identify any of the other =
activists.=20

Also known as a film director, Moe Thu had been a senior member of Suu =
Kyi's National League for Democracy, but apparently fell out of favor =
for his left-wing views and was expelled from the party.=20

Hundreds of party activists and other political opponents of the =
military regime have been jailed or forced into exile. The regime brooks =
no opposition and has refused to recognize the party's sweeping victory =
in elections in 1990.=20


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT color=3D#800000 =
size=3D4><B>Myanmar releases=20
pro-democracy economist </B></FONT>
<P>YANGON: Myanmar's military government has released from prison a =
noted=20
economics writer, a former senior member of the pro-democracy party of =
Aung San=20
Suu Kyi.=20
<P>A Myanmar government statement on Monday said Moe Thu, 62, also known =
as Sein=20
Myint, the former editor of the popular economics magazine Danna, was =
freed from=20
Yangon's Insein Jail on January 3 on humanitarian grounds following the =
death of=20
his wife. He was jailed for rallying crowds without permission in June =
1996 in=20
the name of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, it said, without =
mentioning=20
the duration of his sentence.=20
<P>A friend who saw him after his release last week said Moe Thu was in =
good=20
health. Also Monday, the All Burma Federation of Student Unions - an =
underground=20
movement that has been a driving force behind anti-military protests - =
reported=20
that more than 20 democracy advocates were imprisoned for terms of 25 =
years or=20
more on December 3.=20
<P>The military government did not immediately comment on the report of =
the=20
sentences. In a statement received in Bangkok, the federation said the =
activists=20
were jailed for pro-democracy activities that included agitating for =
protests on=20
September 9, 1999. The date had been seen as auspicious by dissidents =
but few if=20
any demonstrations took place.=20
<P>The federation named four students and teachers from Bago, a city 80=20
kilometers northeast of Yangon, whom it said were tortured during =
interrogation=20
and jailed for life. It did not identify any of the other activists.=20
<P>Also known as a film director, Moe Thu had been a senior member of =
Suu Kyi's=20
National League for Democracy, but apparently fell out of favor for his=20
left-wing views and was expelled from the party.=20
<P>Hundreds of party activists and other political opponents of the =
military=20
regime have been jailed or forced into exile. The regime brooks no =
opposition=20
and has refused to recognize the party's sweeping victory in elections =
in 1990.=20
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