List of Political Prisoners currently incarcerated in Burma

List of 284 Political Prisoners whose whereabouts are verified
updated on 24 October, 2012

Released Political Prisoners List on 17 Sepember, 2012

updated on 20 September 2012

Released Political Prisoners List from 2007 up to 2012
Update On 25 Sep, 2012

Arbitrary Arrests in Burma: a tool to repress critical voices

Date: 27 September, 2012

Current situation
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) is highly concerned that the government of Burma continues to use arbitrary arrest as a tool to hold members of the democracy and human rights movement behind bars often without formal charges.
The highly celebrated political prisoner amnesties that occurred in 2012 have coincided with an alarming increase in the number of arbitrary arrests. The ongoing arrests suggest that Burma has made no significant progress towards protecting and promoting the fundamental civil and political liberties of the people.
 Since January 2012, there has been a substantial increase in the number of activists and dissidents detained without any formal charges in Burma. We have documented at least 200 politically motivated arrests without formal charges in this eight month time period. Of these arrests, less than 60 have resulted in formal court proceedings. Many leave detention unsure whether they will face trial or not. It is clear that politically motivated arrests remains a favored tactic for suppressing critical voices of democracy and human rights.
 There has been no trend towards emptying Burma’s prisons of political prisoners. The high rate of detentions documented since January 2012 indicate that the prisons in Burma are being restocked after a prisoner release. At least 200 individuals have been detained and arrested since January 2012. This is roughly half the number of political prisoners released in the same period and a major cause of concern.
 The series of political prisoner amnesties since January 2012, resulting in the release of approximately 448 political prisoners, is not a reflection of a more welcoming environment for basic civil and political freedoms. Those who speak out continue to be intimidated and treated in a degrading manner consistent with extreme tactics used when Burma was under direct military rule. Common means of intimidation, which include sexual violence and beatings, are never investigated by the police or judiciary.
 The arrest rates correlates to the highs and lulls in Burma popular resistance. For example, arrest rates are highest in the months of May, July, and September, which coincide with the protests against power cuts, commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the military crackdown on student demonstrations, and the copper mine and clothing factory protests respectively. In July, the number of new detentions climbed to 58, and in September, the number of detentions was 23, not including 13 peace network activists now facing sentences of 1 years in 10 different townships, amounting to a potential 10 year imprisonment on charges of breaching the protest bill.

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