[asia-apec 568] Statement by Amnesty International on the Burma 18

[jkellock at amnesty.org]

                                              News Service 158/98
AI INDEX: ASA 16/23/98
14 AUGUST 1998


                             PUBLIC STATEMENT


                                  Myanmar

          18 sentenced to five years? hard labour to be deported

Amnesty International was deeply disappointed to learn that 18 foreign
nationals detained since
9 August in Myanmar were sentenced today to five years? hard labour at a
court in Insein Prison.

All 18 were prisoners of conscience and as such should never have been
arrested in the first place.
They are due to be deported tomorrow morning to Thailand.  Their sentences
are reportedly
suspended, but suspension is conditional on them "not offending again".

     They were arrested for peacefully distributing leaflets expressing
solidarity with the Burmese
people on the 10th anniversary of the military?s violent suppression of the
 pro-democracy movement.
The 18 -- who include three Thais, two Filipinos, three Malaysians, one
Australian, three Indonesians
and six US nationals -- were taken to court today and sentenced under the
vaguely-worded
provisions of the 1950 Emergency Provisions Law.

     Although Amnesty International is pleased at reports that the 18 will
be released, it remains
concerned that hundreds of Burmese prisoners of conscience and possible
prisoners of conscience
remain imprisoned in terrible conditions.

     The organization renews its calls on the international community,
particularly ASEAN
member countries, to continue to urge the Myanmar authorities to release
all prisoners of conscience
and to reverse a continuing failure to respect fundamental human rights in
Myanmar.
ENDS.../