The family members of 39 Burmese dissidents have tears in their eyes today.

Fourteen leading activists of the 88 Generation Students group, including five women, were given 65-year prison sentences in a court in Insein Prison. At the same time, 25 other activists, including five monks and women who took part in the September 2007 uprising, were sentenced to up to 26 years imprisonment. The well-known labor activist Su Su Nway was sentenced to 12 and half years.

The lengthy sentences demonstrate that the oppressive regime is determined to crack down on pro-democracy groups in keeping with its slogan “annihilation of destructive elements and foreign stooges.” It also shows that the regime is simply ignoring calls from the international community for the release of political prisoners.   

Among the 14 activists were Min Zeya, Jimmy (known as Kyaw Min Yu) and his wife, Nilar Thein, and Mie Mie, another prominent female activist. Most had also served lengthy imprisonment following the 1988 pro-democracy uprising.

Jimmy and Nilar Thein served 15 years and seven years imprisonment respectively. Many readers are familiar with the couple and have great sympathy for them and their young daughter, who remains with her grandparents ever since her father was jailed last year and while her mother was in hiding before her arrest in September.

Many of the activists are in their late 30s and 40s. If they have to serve their full sentences, many will die in prison. After 1988, the ruling regime generally gave dissidents three to five years as a basic sentence. In 1990s, the junta handed down longer imprisonment, such as up to 10 years. Now it’s different, and the future seems to be harsher and longer sentences.      

How about Min Ko Naing, the leader of the 88 Generation Students group? Min Ko Naing and eight other members of the group were transferred to Maubin Prison in the Irrawaddy delta on 31 October as punishment two days after the group was sentenced to six months imprisonment for contempt of court. It’s expected that they will soon receive sentences of 65 years or longer.

The longer sentences are designed to discourage dissent. And the new, harsher policy is also being directed at attorneys who are brave enough to represent activists. In October and November, three lawyers who represented dissidents also were sentenced to from four to six months for contempt of court.

Just before his arrest, attorney Aung Thein told The Irrawaddy that justice would win in the end—and he quoted Buddhist teaching. “Ah-dhhamma (injustice) is winning now, but one day dhamma (justice) will win.”

Three lawyers Aung Thein, Khin Maung Shein and Nyi Nyi Htwe, are now being detained in Insein Prison. Four other defense lawyers who are representing several dissidents have also been barred from representing their clients since early November.

But even such a harsh policy hasn’t stifled the spirit of dissent.

After hearing his sentence this morning, Min Zeya, a leading member of the 88 Generation Students group, loudly ridiculed the sentence, “Only 65 years!”

Mie Mie, one of the female activists, shouted, “Never frightened!” Their determination and courage is beyond words.

Sadly, however, the history of the 20 year uprising has proved that spirit alone can’t achieve the democracy movement’s goal. All dissident groups have been seriously beaten down by the military regime. The government plans to hold an election in 2010 but many dissidents are very likely to be serving sentences in prison by then. 

The international community has pushed the regime to reconcile with pro-democracy groups, especially Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy which was the winner of the 1990 election. But the regime simply ignores the pleas.

The military leaders understand well that the world is divided into at least two camps: a sanctions-oriented policy versus engagement-oriented.

The world is divided and the junta has benefited. If the world united behind a single policy that combined elements of both strategies, some progress might be possible,
using a combination of economic sanctions, engagement and other creative approaches.   
 
New ideas and tactics are needed. Otherwise, the leading activists who were just sentenced to 65 years will languish in prison. Thet Win Aung, 34, died in Mandalay Prison in 2006 while serving his 59-year imprisonment. His elder brother, Pyone Cho, a leading member of the 88 Generation Students group, is now in Maubin Prison and is expecting a long sentence, together with his colleagues including Min Ko Naing.

It’s clear the regime is getting even tougher.