March 12, 2007 - Ill and aging, veteran Burmese writer U Win Tin is once again spending his birthday in a prison cell in Insein, Rangoon.
Today is his 77th birthday. Journalist U Win Tin has been detained for his political involvement and critical writings about the ruling junta.
"They are scared to release him," said Tate Naing, secretary of the Assistant Association for Political Prisoner (Burma), "because he [Win Tin] can do a lot to damage to the junta's image."
U Win Tin, since his arrest in 1989 has been sentenced thrice, all while he was imprisoned extending his total prison term to 20 years.
The most recent sentence was passed in March 1996, where he was handed out seven years of imprisonment, for communicating with the United Nations about prison conditions and writing and circulating articles in prison, which the authorities called, "secretly publishing propaganda to incite riots in jail".
"But according to prison law, if we reduce remissions, he has already completed his term. But the authorities, since they are scared to release him, are continuing to extend his detention," said Tate Naing.
U Win Tin, who won the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize and the World Association of Newspapers' Golden Pen of Freedom Award in 2001, has also reportedly demanded his rights to remission.
According to a press release by the Burma Media Association, a Burmese press freedom watchdog, U Win Tin during a meeting with the Director General of Burma's prison directorate demanded his rights.
U Win Tin reportedly told the Director General that, "Out of the 20-year sentence, I have spent 18 years in prison. According to prison laws, I am entitled to remission."
"I am not begging you to release me, but simply demanding my rights as a political prisoner," U Win Tin said.
However, the Director General reportedly gave an excuse that he has little knowledge about the case and will consult other prison authorities.
There has been an ongoing outcry by international communities including press freedom groups, for the release of the veteran Burmese journalist. However, the junta continues to turn a deaf ear.
U Win Tin, former editor of the Hantharwaddy newspaper, was arrested for his position as a senior member of Burma's main opposition political party – the National League for Democracy - that won a landslide victory in the 1990 general election.
Despite releasing hundreds of prisoners in January, including about 40 political prisoners and also releasing five 88 generation student leaders - Ko Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi, Ko Pyone Cho, Htay Kywe and Ko Min Zeya - the junta failed to release U Win Tin.
Reportedly, the junta in order to demoralize him has thrice deceived U Win Tin with false hopes of release, where he was taken to the front-end of Insein prison but later put back in his cell.
U Win Tin is suffering from diabetes and is reported to be taking diuretics due to high blood pressure. He has also had two heart attacks and a hernia operation.
However, with the junta's restrictions the International Committee for Red Cross (ICRC), which had been making prison visits and supplying medical aid to inmates, has not been allowed to meet U Win Tin since the beginning of 2006.
With his profile and ability to shake the junta, the junta sees U Win Tin's detention to be in their favour, said Tate Naing.
"I think detaining U Win Tin is in the junta's interest and the junta sees no threat in continuing to detain him," Tate Naing added.
