Myanmar: 1998 Crackdown on Students - Imprisoned for up to 59 years

Index Number: ASA 16/008/2005
Date Published: 1 March 2005
Categories: Asia And The Pacific, Myanmar

Seven student activists are serving lengthy prison sentences for distributing leaflets and arranging small student demonstrations in the capital of Myanmar, Yangon. Amnesty International is concerned that they have been penalized for peaceful political activities, and is calling for their immediate and unconditional release. The organization is further concerned that they were sentenced in unfair trials; that a number of them are reported to have been subjected to torture and other forms of ill-treatment in detention and are suffering from health problems.