Jury still out on Myanmar regime change
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YANGON — When Myanmar’s new government announced a prisoner amnesty last month, Than Kyaw was among a few dozen of the country’s more than 2,000 political detainees to be set free.
“I had a bitter experience in the prisons,” the 56-year-old said, showing a large scar on his hip — a reminder of the hundreds of beatings he endured behind bars for offenses as slight as not catching flies when ordered to by the guards.
With only three days left to serve of his 25-year sentence for high treason when he was released, the former member of the anti-junta Communist Party in western Rakhine state could hardly be described as lucky.
The move to cut all sentences by one year freed tens of thousands of common criminals but, despite persistent calls from the international community, left the overwhelming majority of political prisoners languishing in jail..... MORE
Source: The Daily Tribune
URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20110606com3.html
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