[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

Reuters-SPDC animals don't know hum

Subject: Reuters-SPDC animals don't know humanrights

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

------=_NextPart_000_0022_01BF45C1.B76334C0
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Myanmar says prison torture reports ``ridiculous''=20
04:00 a.m. Dec 13, 1999 Eastern=20
BANGKOK, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Myanmar's ruling military responded to the =
award of an international prize to a jailed journalist by saying =
accusations of torture in its prisons were ``ridiculous'' as they were =
inspected by the Red Cross.=20

International press watchdog Reporters without Borders (RsF) on Friday =
awarded its annual prize to Myanmar journalist San San Nweh, 55, who was =
jailed for 10 years in 1994.=20

She was accused of giving biased information to reporters and passing =
information on rights violations to the United Nations. RsF said she was =
suffering from liver and eye ailments due to torture and harsh prison =
conditions.=20

Asked to comment on the award, a spokesman for the Myanmar government =
said in a statement faxed to Reuters:=20

``Unfortunately RsF does not seem to be aware that ICRC (International =
Committee of the Red Cross) has been visiting and inspecting =
correctional facilities in Myanmar in accordance with the ICRC's =
standard procedures.=20

``Accusations against the Myanmar government of torture in prisons and =
harsh prison conditions sound rather ridiculous when ICRC and the =
government are working together to upgrade the general conditions in =
Myanmar prisons.''=20

The ICRC began prison visits in Myanmar in May, but its reports and =
recommendations on conditions are made to the government and kept =
confidential.=20

An ICRC official in Bangkok said it had been pleased with the =
cooperation it had received in Myanmar, but it was a concern if its =
prison visits were used by the government as propaganda.=20

RsF said 13 journalists were in prison in Myanmar.=20

San San Nweh is one of Myanmar's best known novelists but the sale of =
her books has been banned since she was jailed. She had previously been =
imprisoned for involvement with the beleaguered opposition led by Nobel =
Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.=20

Another Myanmar novelist, Maung Tha Ya, who fled the country earlier =
this year, told reporters military rule there was a ``living death'' for =
authors. He estimated 20 prominent writers were in jail and at least one =
had died in custody.=20

RsF said one journalist died in jail last year and a photographer had =
reportedly died under torture last September. It said another =
journalist, Win Tin, was near death in prison.=20





------=_NextPart_000_0022_01BF45C1.B76334C0
Content-Type: text/html;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" =
http-equiv=3DContent-Type>
<META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2614.3500" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT size=3D+1><STRONG>Myanmar says =
prison torture=20
reports ``ridiculous''</STRONG></FONT> <BR>04:00 a.m. Dec 13, 1999 =
Eastern=20
<P>BANGKOK, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Myanmar's ruling military responded to =
the award=20
of an international prize to a jailed journalist by saying accusations =
of=20
torture in its prisons were ``ridiculous'' as they were inspected by the =
Red=20
Cross.=20
<P>International press watchdog Reporters without Borders (RsF) on =
Friday=20
awarded its annual prize to Myanmar journalist San San Nweh, 55, who was =
jailed=20
for 10 years in 1994.=20
<P>She was accused of giving biased information to reporters and passing =

information on rights violations to the United Nations. RsF said she was =

suffering from liver and eye ailments due to torture and harsh prison=20
conditions.=20
<P>Asked to comment on the award, a spokesman for the Myanmar government =
said in=20
a statement faxed to Reuters:=20
<P>``Unfortunately RsF does not seem to be aware that ICRC =
(International=20
Committee of the Red Cross) has been visiting and inspecting =
correctional=20
facilities in Myanmar in accordance with the ICRC's standard procedures. =

<P>``Accusations against the Myanmar government of torture in prisons =
and harsh=20
prison conditions sound rather ridiculous when ICRC and the government =
are=20
working together to upgrade the general conditions in Myanmar prisons.'' =

<P>The ICRC began prison visits in Myanmar in May, but its reports and=20
recommendations on conditions are made to the government and kept =
confidential.=20
<P>An ICRC official in Bangkok said it had been pleased with the =
cooperation it=20
had received in Myanmar, but it was a concern if its prison visits were =
used by=20
the government as propaganda.=20
<P>RsF said 13 journalists were in prison in Myanmar.=20
<P>San San Nweh is one of Myanmar's best known novelists but the sale of =
her=20
books has been banned since she was jailed. She had previously been =
imprisoned=20
for involvement with the beleaguered opposition led by Nobel Peace =
laureate Aung=20
San Suu Kyi.=20
<P>Another Myanmar novelist, Maung Tha Ya, who fled the country earlier =
this=20
year, told reporters military rule there was a ``living death'' for =
authors. He=20
estimated 20 prominent writers were in jail and at least one had died in =

custody.=20
<P>RsF said one journalist died in jail last year and a photographer had =

reportedly died under torture last September. It said another =
journalist, Win=20
Tin, was near death in prison.=20
<P><BR></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

------=_NextPart_000_0022_01BF45C1.B76334C0--