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• Daw Aung San Suu Kyi • Dr.Sein Win • others Printable Version

DVB: Interview with San San Nweh (Tharawaddy)

The Burmese military government recently released the prominent writer San San Nweh (Tharawaddy). She had been arrested along with her daughter in 1994. Accused of "producing and sending anti-government reports to international radio stations and foreign journalists passing through the country", she was subsequently sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. Prison officials regarded Daw San San Nweh as an important prisoner, as the Burmese authorities dare not touch activists whose issues are raised by international Human Rights groups.
The following is an interview with Daw San San Nweh who was released after nearly 7 years in Insein prison. This interview was broadcast on July 23 over the DVB (Democratic Voice of Burma) radio, a Norway based Burmese radio station. The words in brackets are by the translator.

DVB : Would you first please summarize your daily life as you stayed in prison for 7 years.

San San Nweh: I was put alone in a tiny cell for over one year. Before that, I was allowed to stay with my daughter. My release came 1 year and 4 months after the release of my daughter, who got ordinary remission. So I had a companion for 5 years and 7 months, then later stayed alone in the cell. According to prison rules, I was required to stay in that cell the entire day except for 35 minutes in the morning and 25 minutes in the afternoon, during which time I could bathe, wash or walk as I liked. That's all. I received a meal known as hospital food. For my diet, I got an egg everyday. If we complained about our health, the doctor or medical officer came to us. In my case, I went to the physician when my skin became inflamed. Sometimes it {the health problem} took time to heal because of the step-by-step procedure. It's a difficult case. Although the authorities take care of health problems, it {the prison health care system} doesn't work properly.

DVB: We are aware that political prisoners who are put in tiny cells constantly face stress. What is your experience?

SSN: I felt frightened whenever I heard the sound of the door being unlocked. I would immediately worry about why they were opening the door. When I was asked to collect all my things, I was worried that some terrible thing had happened at home. Prison is full of secret things and I didn't know anything in advance. I was allowed to return
home for a short time, but I was informed only upon reaching the house. It was to meet with the children for a ceremony, offering a meal to the monks. I prayed when taken because I thought there were problems. So, it's not okay being in prison as I faced a lot of stress . Unhealthy people seem to be very close to death in prison.

DVB: The political prisoners are required to use poun zan* in prison. How about you?

SSN: I felt uncomfortable whenever I had to do this. However, it was not everywhere. (Ah- how to say) we had to sit according to the rules when the officials checked around the prison, but we were not forced to bow our heads and cross our arms in front of our chests. Just sit politely. We were not asked to stand in pon zan position. We behaved politely and they did the same.

*('poun-zan' - prison terminology, referring to the position of sitting cross-legged with arms starightened out and both fists on knees, holding the body absolutely vertical with the face downward. This position is for the counting of prisoners and for inspection by prison officials)

DVB: Prison conditions have slightly improved.

SSN: They have improved a little bit and are not as bad as before. Moreover, ICRC visits prisons inside Burma, right?

DVB: Did you have a chance to talk to ICRC?

SSN: Yes I did. It was a joyful moment for the people in prison because we were able to recognize ourselves as human when we had the chance to deal "human-ly" with an association that equally dealt with us as human. We felt happy about the subjects we talked about. It was the happiest time.

DVB: Were you able to talk without disturbance?

SSN: I was allowed to talk freely. When we were pulled out of our cells, we weren't required to sit in Pon Zan position. We spoke in a friendly manner, freely and without any disturbance. We felt free and light. We thought about this and were pleased.

DVB: Did the authorities threaten or question you at all?

SSN: No, not at all. They didn't question me. There was an understanding in advance {between ICRC and the authorities}. That's the condition.

DVB: There was a big improvement after ICRC was allowed to visit and talk, wasn't there? How about the meal conditions in prison?

SSN: The food stayed the same as usual, Talapaw* curry and rice. Most of us in the cells received the hospital diet, and got an egg once a day. In contrast with others {other prisoners} we got an egg. Except for this, we had to rely on home supply.

(Talapaw curry: Consists of a small amount of various unwashed vegetables and water. They are put together into a large urn, and then boiled. The soup always contains leeches, sand or some very tiny pieces of stone.)

DVB: How was health care and home food supply later {after ICRC}? SSN: All the medicine and food {that we received} was home supply. We had a difficult time when we lacked this. The prison health care system only gives Paracetamol and Dygine* tablets. We got the medicine from home supply. I received my first {medical} treatment when I returned home. (Paracetemol is a genereal painkiller, and Dygine is a medicine for stomach aches)

DVB: According to our knowledge, ICRC also provides medicine to prisons. SSN: Medicine that is suitable to {cure} disease was rare. When we got sick, there were times that the medicine supply was more than before. This was very rare. There are many prisoners. Poor health conditions exist among the criminals. For this reason, the prisons dreadfully need more medical supplies.

DVB: There is news that only one needle is used for many sick prisoners. Some are worried that Burmese prisons have become places which contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS. What is the condition according to your experience? SSN: We collected needles to use for emergency and "rainy day" cases. They {prison authorities} managed to get new needles for the political prisoners.

DVB: As a writer, were you allowed to read during your 7 years in prison? SSN: In prison, I was not allowed to read except for religious books. My family sent me religious books and they {prison authorities} censored them. 3 books were rejected. Moreover, during the time of family visit, we were only allowed to talk about family affairs and our general well being. Before we met our family members, we had to sign {on paper} that we would not talk about the conditions inside prison, or else action would be taken. Even today prisoners have to sign before family visits.