Dissidents Forced Into Hiding

Burma's Military Intelligence Service (MIS) is continuing a crackdown on political dissidents inside Burma, which began in late September and culminated in the arrests of over 30 activists throughout the country, according to sources in Rangoon—including former political prisoners and democracy activists. The sources said that as a result of the September sweep dozens of activists and former political prisoners have been forced into hiding since news of the crackdown surfaced. "My friend left his home in central Burma to avoid the second set of arrests yesterday, and is now in hiding," a Rangoon activist told The Irrawaddy today. "Local MI officers came to his house on Sunday when he was not there, and told his family to send him to their office when he came back." Since the September 25 arrests, speculation has been rife amongst dissidents inside and outside Burma as to what the impetus is behind the recent sweep. "I think the junta is either afraid that they are going to launch protests or release some political statements critical of the government," a Rangoon activist said today. "The junta also might think the recent student protests in Rangoon were politically motivated." Sources also confirmed that the majority of those arrested in September are former political prisoners. And due to the unpredictability of the regime, they say this has caused hordes of former detainees to go underground whether they are involved in the democracy movement or not. A former political prisoner told The Irrawaddy today that his former cellmate has been forced into hiding. "He told me that he has no idea why he is being singled out because he has not been involved in politics since he was released in 1999," said the former political prisoner. "So we have to be careful right now. [MIS] can come arrest us even if we haven't done anything." Meanwhile, according to sources in Rangoon, among the recent detainees are alleged Burma Communist Party’s sympathizers—including U Chit Saung Oo, U Zaw Win, Ko Ne Win, Ko Yin Maung, U Soe Tint, Ko Myint and U San Shwe Maung. Almost all of them were sentenced by the regime in 1990 for their connections to the BCP. U Chit Saung Oo, U Zaw Win, U San Shwe Maung and U Soe Tint have all spent more than ten years in detention. During the September arrests, U Zaw Win and U Chit Saung Oo were arrested at their homes in Prome, Pegu Division.