The Former Political Prisoners Group in Rangoon said it handed over a list identifying 619 Burmese dissidents who remain in prison to US special envoy Derek Mitchell ahead of his visit to Naypyidaw earlier this week.
Hnin Hnin Hmway, the List Verification committee member of the organization, said, “We met with deputy officials from the US State Department and gave them our latest list with details of 619 political prisoners in Burma. They said they would pass it on to Mr. Mitchell before he went to Naypyidaw.”
US Special Representative and Policy Coordinator for Myanmar Mitchell held a press conference at the US embassy in Rangoon on Thursday when he told reporters that he had spoken with the Burmese government about the release of political prisoners.
“The lists confirms 619 political prisoners in 41 prisons around the country,” Hnin Hnin Hmway said, adding: “But there could be many more who we have not been able to confirm yet.
“We verified each and every one [of the 619],” she said. “We also took into account the list from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners-Burma [AAPP] and that of the NLD [National League for Democracy].”
AAPP has stated on its website that there are currently about 800 political prisoners in Burma, though it says it can only confirm precise details for 413.
On Jan. 13, a number of political dissidents were released from prisons around Burma, including 88 Generation leader Min Ko Naing, and U Gambira, one of the most prominent Buddhist monks during the 2007 Saffron Revolution.
Many of those on the most recent list of political prisoners are being detained on convictions such as high treason, murder and unlawful association.
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