AI reports at least 91 prisoners of conscience in Myanmar

Amnesty International, or AI, reported Thursday there are at least 91 prisoners of conscience languishing in jails in Myanmar as opposed to just two, a couple of years ago.

“This represents a dramatic increase since a wideranging presidential pardon at the end of 2013 when Amnesty International was aware of just two prisoners of conscience,” AI said in a statement.

In its report ‘Back to the old ways’, AI says authorities have increased repression against activists, student leaders, lawyers and journalists, who are considered threats, especially in the runup to the general elections on Nov. 8.

Among those in detention, AI mentioned student leader Phyoe Phyoe Aung, who faces nine years in prison for organizing a protest against an education law earlier this year, and Zaw Win, a lawyer, who was detained for denouncing judicial corruption outside a court.

Laura Haigh, AI’s Myanmar Researcher, said authorities are looking to silence dissidents before the elections; the first one under a democratically elected government since the coup in 1962.

Most of the prisoners of conscience are accused of illegal demonstration, threatening the stability of the State or hurting religious sentiments, according to the human rights organization.

AI, which has its headquarters in London, urged international leaders to increase pressure on Myanmar’s President Thein Sein to free all such prisoners.

After nearly 50 years of military rule, in 2011, Myanmar began a series of political, economic and social reforms under a civilian government led by former generals from the military regime.

One of the first measures adopted was setting free thousands of prisoners, including hundreds of political prisoners.