Teenager recruited by Burmese army - Kyaw Myo Paing

(DVB)–A teenager who went missing after being arrested last year in Burma’s central Bago division has been recruited by the army, his family said.

Tin Myo Naing, a resident in Latpan Thonegwa, and his wife San San have been looking for their 16-year-old son Kyaw Myo Paing since he disappeared on 16 December last year after being arrested for selling pork without a license.

The couple received a letter said to be from Kyaw Myo Paing on Tuesday which he had dropped from a train heading south from the capital, Naypyidaw, as it passed their village.

The letter was found by a villager and brought to them.

“The letter has my son’s hand writing; he said he is now in the army and being transferred to Light Infantry Battalion 118 in Thahton, Mon state,” said Tin Myo Naing.

“He now has a new name, Kyaw Ko, and his serial number is 406290. He told me not to come find him [in Thahton] as the area is a harsh place to travel.”

“I don’t care how difficult it is to travel there. I’m still going there to find my son - I’ve been looking for over five months. I will find him and ask him what he wants to do.”

Yesterday the state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported on a ceremony held in Rangoon, attended by UNICEF and Save the Children, in which the army returned eight child soldiers to their parents.

Use of child soldiers contravenes even Burmese domestic law, although Human Rights Watch in 2002 named Burma as the world’s leading recruiter of child soldiers.

“If they’re releasing eight children, then great for those eight children, but that’s not all of them and a lot more needs to be done before the problem goes away,” said David Mathieson, Burma analyst at Human Rights Watch.

The issue has been cited by former senior legal adviser to the International Criminal Court (ICC), Morten Bergsmo, as a reason for bringing Burma’s ruling general, Than Shwe, to trial at the ICC.

Similarly, a report released last month by the Harvard Law School said that the situation for Burma’s child soldiers warranted significant attention from the UN Security Council.

The problem however is not confined to the government, with several of the armed opposition groups, including the Karen National Union, believed to also recruit child soldiers.

Reporting by Khin Hnin Htet and Francis Wade

READ MORE---> Teenager recruited by Burmese army - Kyaw Myo Paing...

Two ABFSU leaders transferred to remote prisons

(DVB)–Two All Burma Federation of Student Unions leaders who were recently sentenced to three years’ imprisonment each have been transferred to remote prisons, according to their families.

ABFSU leaders Kyaw Ko Ko and Nyan Linn Aung were sentenced to three years in prison by Mingalar Taung Nyunt township court in Rangoon earlier this month under video laws.

Kyaw Ko Ko was among the political prisoners who met UN special rapporteur Tomas Ojea Quintana during his recent visit to Burma.

Kyaw Ko Ko’s father Kyaw Aye said he had not been able to see his son since the visit because political inmates are only allowed family visits once every two weeks.

“My son met with Mr Quintana on the 16th but I couldn’t go and visit him as I had just seen him on the 13th,” said Kyaw Aye. Kyaw Aye said he found out his son and Nyan Linn Aung had been moved from Insein to other remote prisons early on Saturday morning, but had not yet been able to confirm where they have been sent.

“I went to a court in Tamwe [on 23 February] to show support for some political activists on trial there,” he said.

“They told me that my son and his colleague were no longer in Insein prison ward 5 where they were previously detained.”

Kyaw Aye said he immediately went to Insein prison and was told by an official there that Kyaw Ko Ko had been transferred to Taunggyi prison in Shan state while Nyan Linn Aung was sent to Bhamo prison in Kachin state.

“I made a phone call to Taunggyi prison to confirm the news but they told me Kyaw Ko Ko had not yet arrived,” Kyaw Aye said.

Reporting by Nan Kham Kaew

READ MORE---> Two ABFSU leaders transferred to remote prisons...

Political Activist Hospitalized - Kyaw Ko Ko

By SAW YAN NAING
The Irrawaddy News

A prominent Burmese political prisoner, Kyaw Ko Ko, who has been detained in Insein Prison since March 2008, was yesterday moved to the jail’s hospital suffering from jaundice, according to his family in Rangoon.

Kyaw Ko Ko, 27, a leader of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU), was arrested by Burmese authorities in March 2008 following his involvement in the Buddhist monk-led uprising in September 2007 and has since been detained at Insein Prison.

Photo: Kyaw Ko Ko
Since his arrest, Kyaw Ko Ko has appeared in court several times, but has not been sentenced. His latest appearance in court was last Friday, said his father.

A master’s degree student from Yangon Economic University, Kyaw Ko Ko called on the Burmese military government to allow Burmese students to exercise their freedom of expression in terms of thinking, writing, forming groups and establishing students’ unions in an interview with The Irrawaddy on the occasion of Burma’s National Day in December 2007.

The ABFSU was active in leading demonstrations during the 2007 uprising and many of its members have since been arrested by Burmese security forces. The students’ organization was originally founded by Gen Aung San, father of Aung San Suu Kyi, in 1936.

Due to poor medical treatment and physical restrictions, two political prisoners—Maung San and Htay Lwin Oo—died in prison last month, according to Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners-Burma (AAPP).

About 138 political prisoners have died in Burmese prisons in recent years, according to AAPP, and there are currently more than 2,100 political activists behind bars.

READ MORE---> Political Activist Hospitalized - Kyaw Ko Ko...