Upper Burma Court Sentences Three Human Rights Defenders to Long-Term Imprisonment; Guards Intimidate Lawyer

On 8 July, Shwebo Township court handed out additional sentences to U Aung Soe, U Maung San and Ko Soe Thu, increasing their prison terms to respectively 11 years and six months and two years and six months. The three human rights defenders were previously detained, held incommunicado and sentenced in unfair trials for their opposition to the Letpadaung Copper Mine […]

Political Prisoner Watch (Burma) – June 2013

During the month of June, many activists were charged and sent to jail under Section 505 of Burma’s Penal Code and under Section 18 of the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law. An emerging trend is the nation-wide cases of “protest plows.” Landless farmers have been contesting land confiscations by plowing and reharvesting their formally held […]

Burma: Ratify the UN Convention Against Torture

In honor of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) urges the Government of Burma to immediately consider ratifying the UN Convention Against Torture (CAT) and to codify provisions into domestic law […]

Open Letter to President U Thein Sein on the Arbitrary Arrest, Incommunicado Detention and Unfair Trial of Human Rights Defenders and Peaceful Protesters

Your Excellency,

Burma Partnership, a regional democracy and human rights advocacy network, and Assistance Association for Political Prisoners – Burma, a political prisoner monitoring and advocacy group, along with the human rights organizations endorsing this letter, wish to draw your attention to the arbitrary arrest, prolonged incommunicado detention, and unfair trial of human rights defenders and peaceful protesters, most recently in Salingyi Township, Sagaing Region […]

President U Thein Sein: Put Words into Action

Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) welcomes President U Thein Sein’s clear call in a recent address for the “release of prisoners with a view of fostering national reconciliation” – one of the major obstacles to Burma’s nascent democratic transition […]

AAPP (B) Urges Government of Burma to Release All Remaining Political Prisoners

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) expresses displeasure with the manner political prisoners have been released on 17 May, resulting in the release of 23 prisoners, of which 19 are confirmed to be political prisoners. While AAPP (B) welcomes the freeing of any political prisoner […]

AAPP-B Condemns the Sentencing of Former Political Prisoner Under Article 401 (1)

AAPP (B) condemns the sentencing of former political prisoner Nay Myo Zin under Article 401 (1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Nay Myo Zin, charity worker and coordinator of the Myanmar Social Development Network, is the first former political prisoner to be ordered to serve the remainder of his original prison sentence. He has been ordered to serve 6 years of his previous 10-year sentence […]

Explanation About Article 401 of the Criminal Code of Procedure

401.(1) When any person has been sentenced to punishment for an offence, the President of the Union may at any time, without conditions or upon any conditions which the person sentenced accepts, suspend the execution of his sentence or remit the whole or any part of the punishment to which he has been sentenced […]

Burma: Investigate Death of Former Political Prisoner

AAPP is deeply saddened to learn about the passing of former political prisoner Phyo Wai Aung. He passed away due to liver cancer at his home in Rangoon on 4 January 2012, only 5 months after his release from Insein prison where he served 2 years […]

AAPP Condemns the Re-Arrest of Ashin Gambira (aka) Nyi Nyi Lwin

On December 1st, 2012, Ashin Gambira (aka) Nyi Nyi Lwin was re-arrested by Burmese authorities whilst staying at his brother-in-law Nyi Nyi Zaw’s house in Thingangyun Township, Rangoon. On December 2nd, he was sent to Insein prison where he was incarcerated […]