Video file: 20090221 Burma massive prisoner release

Locations: Rangoon , Mandalay, Tharyawaddy, Mawlamine, Burma

Dates Shot: Given in each video clip

Sound: NATURAL WITH BURMESE

Duration: 03:42

Source: Democratic Voice of Burma, NORWAY (please contact Deputy Director Khin Maung Win at +47 452 766 49)

Burma military government announce that it will free 6313 prisoners on 21 February to welcome coming election, although the number of political prisoners in the released list remains unclear.

SHOWS:

1.     00:00-00:41 Government TV 20 Febuary- (SOUNDBITE) (BURMESE) Announcer from Burmese state television announcing:

“For the humanitarian reasons, for the sake of the family members, to demonstrate the goodwill of the government and to be able to allow fair participation in the upcoming 2010 free and fair general election, Myanmar government will release 6,313 prisoners with good conduct and discipline on Feb 21.”

2.     00:41-01:10 (from government TV)-UN special Rapporteur on Human Rights Tomas Ojea Quintana answering journalists at the Rangoon airport, Thursday (19 February 2009) in Rangoon (no audio of Rapporteur, but summary of TV announcer)

3.     01:10-01:35- Various Shots of Tharwaddy prison, southern Burma, filmed 2007- signboard say "purge the colonial behavior, uphold interest of the state and people"

4.     01:35-02:01-Various shots of Mawlamine prison, southern Burma, filmed 2007- prisoners are walking

5.     02:01-02:30 Various shots of Mandalay Prison, central Burma, filmed 2007, (prisoners are walking)

6.     02:30-02:56- Shots of wall of Insein Prison in Rangoon, filmed 2008

7.     02:56-03:42, Various shots of members of main opposition party National League for Democracy campaigning release of all political prisoners including party leader Aung San Suu Kyi, filmed 4 January 2009 in Rangoon

Story

Burma state media announced amnesty for 6313 prisoners with good conduct and discipline on Saturday, although it is unclear that how many of them are political prisoners.

The announcement coincided with the departure of UN special Rapporteur on Human Rights Tomas Ojea Quintana following a six-day visit to Burma.

Release of political prisoners including Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is the noteworthy demand of main opposition party National League for Democracy (NLD) at all time.

Despite international pressure and demand from NLD, over 2000 people are believed to be in detention in various prisons all over Burma because of their political or religious beliefs. Last a few months, Burmese military government ordered long prison terms for dozens of prominent political activists and aid workers who participated in September 2007 demonstration and/or relief efforts for the cyclone victims in May 2008.

In the previous amnesty in September 2008, the military government freed 9002 prisoners, and only 6 were political prisoners. One of them is longest serving political prisoner U Win Tin of NLD party.

ENDS.