Detained monks could be sent to hard labour camps

Burmanet » Democratic Voice of Burma: Detained monks could be sent to hard labour camps

Monks currently detained at the government technical college compound in Insein township may be sent to a hard labour prison camp, according to a source at the college compound.Around 1,900 people, including monks, nuns, students and civilians, have been detained in the college compound as part of the government crackdown on recent mass demonstrations.

Among those detained are young monks aged between 16 and 18, and novices as young as 5 to 10 years old. Nuns are also being held at the compound, along with 140 other women. All monks and nuns have been disrobed and made to wear civilian clothes.

According to a Swan Arr Shin member placed inside the compound, authorities are planning to send the detained monks to a hard labour prison camp in Sagaing township.

The compound is being guarded by troops from battalion 77, who took part in the crackdowns. Swan Arr Shin members are also being paid 3,000 Kyat a day (about USD 2) to keep a close watch on the detainees inside the compound.

Another 10 MPs from the National League for Democracy and 137 members of the same party, the main opposition party in Birmania have also been detained:

U Myint Lwin, a member of the NLD party in Mandalay division’s Myinchan township, was arrested by police officers who promised he would be released after questioning, said U Myint Lwin’s wife Daw Kyin Thaung.

“But he didn’t come back home until the next morning and so we went down to the police station with some food and medicines for him. But they said he wasn’t there anymore and that he had been transferred to Mandalay,” said Daw Kyin Thaung.

Another two NLD party members in Myinchan, U Paw Thein and U Bo Se, were also arrested on the same night as U Myint Lwin. Their family members have also said that their health is suffering already.

Now we see what yesterday’s UN condemnation serves for…

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De El MUNDO:

BANGKOK.- Al menos diez parlamentarios de la Liga Nacional por la Democracia (LND) y 137 miembros de ese partido, la principal formación opositora de Birmania, han sido detenidos en relación con las protestas contra la gobernante Junta Militar, según informa la radio ‘La Voz Democrática de Birmania’.

La emisora de la disidencia, con base en Oslo (Suecia), señaló que el último de los arrestados es U Saw Lwin, elegido en las legislativas de 1990, ganadas por la LND y cuyos resultados nunca fueron reconocidos por el régimen militar.

U Nyan Win, portavoz de la LND, declaró a ese medio que el parlamentario fue arrestado la noche del 26 de septiembre bajo la promesa de ser liberado tras el interrogatorio, hecho que luego no se produjo. El portavoz también denunció el arresto ese día de U Paw Thein, U Bo Se y U Maung Than, todos integrantes de la LND.

‘La Voz Democrática de Birmania’ también informa de que unas 1.900 personas, entre bonzos, monjas budistas, estudiantes y civiles, permanecen detenidas en el colegio técnico de Insein, al norte de Rangún, habilitado para dar cabida a los prisioneros a los que las autoridades implican en las multitudinarias manifestaciones.

Según la fuente, entre los prisioneros hay monjes de entre 16 y 18 años y novicios de cinco y diez años, que, al igual que las monjas budistas, han sido obligados a llevar ropas civiles.

Añade que los detenidos, que son vigilados por tropas del Batallón 77, una de las divisiones militares encargadas de reprimir las protestas, podrían ser enviados a cumplir trabajos forzados en el campo de prisioneros de Sagaing

La condena de la ONU, mientras no se haga algo más, no servirá de nada frente a los abusos a que van a ser sometidos los monjes y los detenidos…

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