The Burmese military junta has arrested a Burmese activist who has been in hiding for over a year and are likely to subject her to torture and other forms of abuse, according to a statement by Amnesty International.
Nilar Thein, a prominent activist who was part of a pro-democracy group known as the 88 Students movement that held demonstrations in 1988 and 1996, was arrested by authorities last week as she attempted to visit a detained comrade’s mother in Rangoon.
The government arrested Nilar Thein for her role in a demonstration demanding the release of political dissidents and the curbing of fuel costs held during the initial days of the Saffron Revolution last year.
Nilar Thein spent nine years in jail for her role in anti-government protests during the 90s and spoke with RFA last year while she was in hiding about the sexual harassment and abuse she faced while incarcerated.
The Burmese government is stepping up arrests of political dissidents during the one year anniversary of the Saffron Revolution. According to Amnesty International, almost 300 people have been arrested for peaceful political activities so far this year.
Filed under: Southeast Asia, burma, burmese, women
