Conditions  in  Burma  do  not  come  close  to  free,  fair  and  credible  elections  with  more  than  
2,200  political  prisoners  still  behind  bars  -­‐  AAPP  report  reveals  
 
Information  Release  
Date:  November  3,  2010  
 
More   than   2,200   political   prisoners   will   spend   this   week’s   election   in   prison;   denied   not   only  
their   freedom,   but   also   their   right   to   vote   and   their   right   to   participate   in   the   wider   political  
process.    
 
For  more  than  45  political  prisoners  this  will  be  their  second  election  behind  bars,  having  spent  
the  last  election,  20  years  ago,  in  prison,  an  AAPP  report,  released  today,  reveals.  
 
“Sadly,   30   of   these   political   prisoners   have   not   seen   freedom   in   over   20   years   having   been  
imprisoned  since  before  1990,”  said  Joint  Secretary  of  AAPP  Bo  Kyi.  
 
The  report,  Silencing  Dissent:  the  ongoing  imprisonment  of  Burma’s  political  activists  in  the  lead  
up   to   the   2010   elections,   documents   the   ongoing   intimidation,   imprisonment   and   torture   of  
political  activists,  as  well  as  ordinary  civilians  peacefully  expressing  their  basic  civil  and  political  
rights,  throughout  the  pre-­‐election  period.    
 
Not   only   was   there   an   increase   in   the   number   of   political   prisoners   in   2010   but   the   abuse   of  
political  prisoners  through  torture  and  dire  prison  conditions  continued  unabated.  
 
 “Violence,   intimidation   and   arbitrary   arrest   have   no   place   in   free,   fair   and   credible   elections.  
Rather   than   bettering   the   lives   of   Burma’s   50   million   people,   the   7   November   elections   are  
increasing  the  threats  that  people  face,  on  a  daily  basis,  from  the  regime.”    
 
The  report  reveals  that  in  the  past  year  there  has  been  no  improvement  in  the  overall  political  
prisoner  situation.  People  are  arrested  and  tortured  for  simply  voicing  their  opinion  about  the  
elections  and  for  educating  others  about  the  electoral  process.  In  September,  11  students  were  
arrested  for  distributing  leaflets  informing  people  of  their  right  not  to  vote.    
 
“How   can   we   speak   of   free   and   fair   elections   when   the   regime   tortures   and   arrests   young  
people  for  educating  their  fellow  citizens  on  their  democratic  rights,”  Bo  Kyi  asserted.    
 
 “On  Sunday,  the  people  of  Burma  will  not  be  able  to  vote  freely  for  the  leaders  of  their  choice  
because  the  leaders  of  their  choice  remain  behind  bars.  The  military  regime  is  trying  to  tell  the  
P.O  Box  93,  Mae  Sot,  Tak  Province  63110,  Thailand,  e.mail:  info@aappb.org,  web:  www.aappb.org  
international   community   that   they   are   changing.   If   they   were   genuinely   interested   in   change  
they  would  have  already  released  Daw  Aung  San  Suu  Kyi,  U  Khun  Htun  Oo,  and  Min  Ko  Naing,  
allowing  them  to  freely  contest  the  elections”  Bo  Kyi  said.  
 
 
Assistance  Association  for  Political  Prisoners  (Burma)  
 
For  more  information:  
 
Tate  Naing  (Secretary):        +66  (0)  81  287  8751  
Bo  Kyi  (Joint  Secretary):      +66  (0)  81  962  8713  

P.O  Box  93,  Mae  Sot,  Tak  Province  63110,  Thailand,  e.mail:  info@aappb.org,  web:  www.aappb.org