HRW Report – Burma: Verdict Expected in Trial of Burmese-American Activist

(New York, January 25, 2009) – On January 27, a criminal court inside Insein prison in Rangoon is expected to hand down the verdict in the trial of Burmese rights activist and US citizen Kyaw Zaw Lwin.

Zaw Lwin, age 40, also known as Nyi Nyi Aung, had been working for the Free Burmese Political Prisoners Now campaign in Thailand. His mother and two cousins are serving lengthy prison terms in Burma for participating in the peaceful demonstrations in 2007.

“It’s cruelly ironic that someone who campaigned for the release of political prisoners is now facing a lengthy jail term himself on trumped-up charges,” said Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Burma’s generals should stop this charade and release Zaw Lwin immediately.”

Burmese authorities arrested Zaw Lwin at Rangoon International Airport on September 3, 2009. He was initially accused of national security violations, but was later charged with holding a forged Burmese national identity card, despite being the holder of a US passport. He is also charged with failing to declare foreign currency at customs, although authorities arrested him before he passed through customs.

Human Rights Watch said that over the past two years, the number of political prisoners in Burma has doubled and at least 2,100 political prisoners currently languish in Burma’s squalid prisons. The first elections in 20 years are scheduled for some time in 2010.

“The US should press for the release of all political prisoners, but especially Zaw Lwin as a US citizen,” said Pearson. “The Obama administration should tell Burma’s generals this trial is a litmus test for its commitment to release political prisoners prior to the 201

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