Khun Htun Oo
Encyclopedia
Khun Htun Oo is a politician from Shan State
, Burma (Myanmar) who is currently imprisoned for treason, defamation, and inciting dissatisfaction toward the government. His sentence has been protested by numerous Western governments and the human rights group Amnesty International
, which named him a prisoner of conscience
.
in Shan State. He pursued a Bachelor of Laws
at Rangoon University from 1965 to 1967 before serving as assistant to the Indonesian
military attaché in Burma. Htun Oo went on to become "the most senior political representative of the Shan".
After pro-democracy, anti-government protests
toppled Ne Win
's military dictatorship in 1988, Htun Oo stood for the 1990 parliamentary elections
at the head of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy
(SNLD) party. His party gained 23 seats (220,835 votes), and within Shan State, finished ahead of even Aung San Suu Kyi
's National League for Democracy
(NLD), which had won 59.9% of the vote nationwide. However, the military government annulled the results, the parliament never convened, and the generals continued to rule the country as the State Peace and Development Council
(SPDC).
, he described his party's ultimate objective as "the establishment of a multi-party democratic system". That same year, he publicly protested the exclusion of Burma's ethnic minorities from Union Day
celebrations.
Htun Oo's opposition to the government eventually led to his arrest. On 7 February 2005--Shan National Day--Htun Oo met several other politicians for a meal, over which they discussed the SPDC's plans for the coming national transition. He was arrested two days later on charges of "high treason" and "inciting disaffection towards the Government". The other leaders present at the meeting were arrested as well.
In November of that year, the group was tried in a closed trial at Insein Prison
. Htun Oo was found guilty on all charges and sentenced to 93 years' imprisonment. Amnesty International criticized the trial as falling "far short of international fair trial standards", noting that the defendants were denied access to family and their own lawyers.
prison in Kachin State
. According to reports released from the prison, despite having diabetes and gout
he has received little medical attention, and is also suffering from swollen legs due to lack of exercise, as well as ischemic heart disease. Amnesty International reported that he also suffers from a peptic ulcer
and arthritis. On 9 February 2010, the Democratic Voice of Burma
reported that Htun Oo was "losing hair and weight," dropping from around 160 lbs. to around 120 lbs., and on 10 February 2011, that his health was "deteriorating".
Amnesty International named Htun Oo as a prisoner of conscience
, and as of May 2011, continued to publicize his case. He was also made an honourary Italian citizen by the mayor of Monza
on December 10, 2008. A 2010 United Nations draft resolution calling by name for the freedom of Htun Oo and other political prisoners was co-sponsored by Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Great Britain and the US. In March 2011, Htun Oo was awarded the Nationalities Hero prize by the United Nationalities Alliance, a group representing several minorities of Burma, for his "dedication and struggle for ethnic groups and national reconciliation".
Shan State
Shan State is a state of Burma . Shan State borders China to the north, Laos to the east, and Thailand to the south, and five administrative divisions of Burma in the west. Largest of the 14 administrative divisions by land area, Shan State covers 155,800 km², almost a quarter of the total...
, Burma (Myanmar) who is currently imprisoned for treason, defamation, and inciting dissatisfaction toward the government. His sentence has been protested by numerous Western governments and the human rights group Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, which named him a prisoner of conscience
Prisoner of conscience
Prisoner of conscience is a term defined in Peter Benenson's 1961 article "The Forgotten Prisoners" often used by the human rights group Amnesty International. It can refer to anyone imprisoned because of their race, religion, or political views...
.
Background
Htun Oo is ethnically Shan, and was born in 1943 in HsipawHsipaw
Hsipaw , is a town in Shan State, Myanmar on the riverbank of Myitnge River. It is 200 km northeast of Mandalay.-Shan Saopha:Hsipaw is perhaps one of the most well known and powerful saopha states of Shan State...
in Shan State. He pursued a Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
at Rangoon University from 1965 to 1967 before serving as assistant to the Indonesian
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
military attaché in Burma. Htun Oo went on to become "the most senior political representative of the Shan".
After pro-democracy, anti-government protests
8888 Uprising
The 8888 Nationwide Popular Pro-Democracy Protests was a series of marches, demonstrations, protests, and riots in the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma...
toppled Ne Win
Ne Win
Ne Win was Burmese a politician and military commander. He was Prime Minister of Burma from 1958 to 1960 and 1962 to 1974 and also head of state from 1962 to 1981...
's military dictatorship in 1988, Htun Oo stood for the 1990 parliamentary elections
Burmese general election, 1990
General elections were held in Burma on 27 May 1990, the first multi-party elections since 1960, after which the country had been ruled by a military dictatorship...
at the head of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy
Shan Nationalities League for Democracy
The Shan Nationalities League for Democracy is a political party in Myanmar , representing the interests of the Shan minority. At the last parliamentary elections held on 27 May 1990, under the leadership of Khun Htun Oo, the party won a clear representation, became the second party in parliament,...
(SNLD) party. His party gained 23 seats (220,835 votes), and within Shan State, finished ahead of even Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi, AC is a Burmese opposition politician and the General Secretary of the National League for Democracy. In the 1990 general election, her National League for Democracy party won 59% of the national votes and 81% of the seats in Parliament. She had, however, already been detained...
's National League for Democracy
National League for Democracy
The National League for Democracy is a Burmese political party founded on 27 September 1988. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi serves as its General Secretary. The party won a substantial parliamentary majority in the 1990 Burmese general election. However, the ruling military junta...
(NLD), which had won 59.9% of the vote nationwide. However, the military government annulled the results, the parliament never convened, and the generals continued to rule the country as the State Peace and Development Council
State Peace and Development Council
The State Peace and Development Council was the official name of the military regime of Burma , which seized power in 1988. On 30 March 2011, Senior General Than Shwe signed a decree to officially dissolve the Council....
(SPDC).
Activism, arrest, and trial
Eight years after the annulment of the election results, SNLD and 3 other ethnic parties worked on a coalition agreement with the NLD. This coalition urged the SPDC to negotiate with the NLD over human rights, but these efforts did not succeed, and Htun Oo's party ultimately urged politicians to boycott the SPDC's coming National Convention. In a 2002 interview with BBC NewsBBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
, he described his party's ultimate objective as "the establishment of a multi-party democratic system". That same year, he publicly protested the exclusion of Burma's ethnic minorities from Union Day
Panglong Agreement
The Panglong Agreement was reached between the Burmese government under Aung San and the Shan, Kachin, and Chin peoples on 12 February 1947. The agreement accepted "Full autonomy in internal administration for the Frontier Areas" in principle and envisioned the creation of a Kachin State by the...
celebrations.
Htun Oo's opposition to the government eventually led to his arrest. On 7 February 2005--Shan National Day--Htun Oo met several other politicians for a meal, over which they discussed the SPDC's plans for the coming national transition. He was arrested two days later on charges of "high treason" and "inciting disaffection towards the Government". The other leaders present at the meeting were arrested as well.
In November of that year, the group was tried in a closed trial at Insein Prison
Insein Prison
Insein Prison is located in Yangon Division, near Yangon , the old capital of Myanmar. It is run by the military junta of Myanmar, the State Peace and Development Council, and used largely to repress political dissidents....
. Htun Oo was found guilty on all charges and sentenced to 93 years' imprisonment. Amnesty International criticized the trial as falling "far short of international fair trial standards", noting that the defendants were denied access to family and their own lawyers.
Imprisonment and international attention
Since 2005, Htun Oo has been held in PutaoPutao
Putao is the northernmost town of Kachin State, Myanmar and is the site of the World War II British Fort Hertz. It is the principal town in Putao Township. It can only be reached by road during summer but is accessible year round by air if there are sufficient tourist groups to justify a plane...
prison in Kachin State
Kachin State
Kachin State , is the northernmost state of Burma. It is bordered by China to the north and east; Shan State to the south; and Sagaing Division and India to the west. It lies between north latitude 23° 27' and 28° 25' longitude 96° 0' and 98° 44'. The area of Kachin State is . The capital of the...
. According to reports released from the prison, despite having diabetes and gout
Gout
Gout is a medical condition usually characterized by recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis—a red, tender, hot, swollen joint. The metatarsal-phalangeal joint at the base of the big toe is the most commonly affected . However, it may also present as tophi, kidney stones, or urate...
he has received little medical attention, and is also suffering from swollen legs due to lack of exercise, as well as ischemic heart disease. Amnesty International reported that he also suffers from a peptic ulcer
Peptic ulcer
A peptic ulcer, also known as PUD or peptic ulcer disease, is the most common ulcer of an area of the gastrointestinal tract that is usually acidic and thus extremely painful. It is defined as mucosal erosions equal to or greater than 0.5 cm...
and arthritis. On 9 February 2010, the Democratic Voice of Burma
Democratic Voice of Burma
The Democratic Voice of Burma is a non-profit media organization based in Oslo, Norway. Run by Burmese expatriates, it makes radio and television broadcasts aimed at providing uncensored news and information about Burma , the country's military regime, and its political opposition.In July 1992,...
reported that Htun Oo was "losing hair and weight," dropping from around 160 lbs. to around 120 lbs., and on 10 February 2011, that his health was "deteriorating".
Amnesty International named Htun Oo as a prisoner of conscience
Prisoner of conscience
Prisoner of conscience is a term defined in Peter Benenson's 1961 article "The Forgotten Prisoners" often used by the human rights group Amnesty International. It can refer to anyone imprisoned because of their race, religion, or political views...
, and as of May 2011, continued to publicize his case. He was also made an honourary Italian citizen by the mayor of Monza
Monza
Monza is a city and comune on the river Lambro, a tributary of the Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy some 15 km north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of Monza and Brianza. It is best known for its Grand Prix motor racing circuit, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.On June...
on December 10, 2008. A 2010 United Nations draft resolution calling by name for the freedom of Htun Oo and other political prisoners was co-sponsored by Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Great Britain and the US. In March 2011, Htun Oo was awarded the Nationalities Hero prize by the United Nationalities Alliance, a group representing several minorities of Burma, for his "dedication and struggle for ethnic groups and national reconciliation".
External links
- Prisoner profile at Assistance Association for Political PrisonersAssistance Association for Political PrisonersAssistance Association of Political Prisoners is an independent non-profit organisation founded by Burmese former political prisoners living in exile...