#aaf? ,,congress  #a/ ,session  ,h4 ,r4 
#bcbg  ,,an ,,act  ,to direct !         
,secret>y ( ,/ate to provide assi/ance  
to civil society organizations 9 ,burma 
t "w to secure ! release ( prison]s (   
consci5ce & political prison]s 9 ,burma1
 & assi/ance to curr5t & =m] prison]s ( 
consci5ce & political prison]s 9 ,burma1
 & = o!r purposes4  #a4 ,%ort title ,?is
 ,act may be cit$ z ! ,burma ,political 
,prison]s ,assi/ance ,act4  #b4 ,f9d+s  
,congress makes ! foll[+ f9d+s3  7#a7   
,aung ,san ,suu ,kyi & ! ,national      
,league = ,democracy 7,,nld7 pl$g$ t !y 
w\ld n arre/ anyone z political         
prison]s1 b h fail$ to fulfill ?is      
promise s9ce !y took control ( ,burma's 
,union ,p>liam5t & ! ,gov]nm5t's        
executive bran* 9 ,april #bjaf4  7#b7 ,z
 ( ! end ( ,april #bjai1 !re 7 #cca     
political prison]s 9 ,burma1 #dh ( !m   
s]v+ s5t5ces1 #ij await+ trial inside   
prison1 & #aic await+ trial outside     
prison1 accord+ to ! ,assi/ance         
,association = ,political ,prison]s 9   

,burma4  7#c7 ,dur+ its #c ye>s 9 p[]1 !
 ,,nld ,gov]nm5t has provid$ p>dons =   
,burma's political prison]s on six      
occasions4 ,/ate ,c\nsellor ,aung ,san  
,suu ,kyi took /eps to secure ! release 
( ne>ly #bce political prison]s 9 ,april
 #bjaf4 ,on ,may #bc1 #bjag1 =m]        
,presid5t ,ht9 ,kyaw grant$ p>dons to   
#bei prison]s1 includ+ #hi political    
prison]s4 ,on ,april #ag1 #bjah1 curr5t 
,presid5t ,w9 ,my9t p>don$ #h1eda       
prison]s1 includ+ #cf political         
prison]s4 ,9 ,april & ,may #bjai1 he    
p>don$ m ?an #bc1jjj prison]s1 includ+  
#bj political prison]s4  7#d7 ,!        
,burmese security =ces h us$            
colonial-era laws to arre/ & *>ge       
political prison]s & prison]s (         
consci5ce4 ,^! laws include b are n     
limit$ to provisions ( ! ,p5al ,code1 ! 
,peaceful ,assembly & ,peaceful         
,procession ,act1 ! #aijh ,unlawful     
,associations ,act1 ! #bjac             
,telecommunications ,act1 & ! #aibc     
,(ficial ,secrets ,act4  7#e7 ,on       

,decemb] #ab1 #bjag1 ,reut]s report]s   
,wa ,lone & ,kyaw ,soe ,oo 7 arre/$ &   
*>g$ ) violat+ ! ,(ficial ,secrets ,act1
 cont9u+ a tr5d ( re/rict+ m$ia & free  
spee* & attempt+ to ?w>t cov]age ( !    
ev5ts 9 ,rakh9e ,/ate4  7#f7 ,on        
,septemb] #c1 #bjah1 ,wa ,lone & ,kyaw  
,soe ,oo 7 convict$ & s5t5c$ to #g ye>s 
9 prison4 ,"t ,magaz9e includ$ pictures 
( ! two report]s on ! cov] ( its ,p]son 
( ! ,ye> issue on ,decemb] #aj1 #bjah1 z
 two ( ! ,gu>dians & ! ,w> on ,tru?4    
7#g7 ,on ,may #f1 #bjai1 ,wa ,lone &    
,kyaw ,soe ,oo 7 releas$ aft] m ?an #ejj
 days beh9d b>s4  7#h7 ,accord+ to      
,burmese free spee* organization ,a?an1 
#dd j\rnali/s & #adb activi/s s9ce #bjaf
 7 *>g$ ) colonial-era laws us$ to /ifle
 diss5t & re/rict activi/ gr\ps & h fac$
 trial4  7#i7 ,s9ce ,decemb] #bjah1 ?ree
 ,ka*9 activi/s 7 s5t5c$ to #f mon?s 9  
prison 9 connection ) peaceful antiw>   
prote/s2 a prote/] demon/rat+ aga9/ !   
,myitsone ,dam 7a controv]sial          
,*9ese-back$ hydrop[] project7 0 *>g$ = 

peaceful demon/rations1 & police us$    
excessive =ce to crack d[n on peaceful  
prote/]s 9 ,kayah ,/ate1 ) "s ( !       
demon/rators *>g$ "u vaguely word$1     
repressive laws4  7#aj7 ,on ,augu/ #ah1 
#bjag1 ,aung ,ko ,htwe 0 arre/$ because 
he gave a m$ia int]view 9 :i* he        
describ$ 8 exp]i5ce z a *ild soldi]1    
includ+ h[ ! ,burmese milit>y abduct$ & 
=cibly recruit$ him :5 he 0 #ac ye>s    
old4 ,he 0 *>g$ "u ,section #eje7;b7 (  
,burma's ,p5al ,code4  7#aa7 ,al?\gh =m]
 ,secret>y ( ,/ate ,rex ,till]son took  
,burma (f ! ,/ate ,dep>tm5t's li/ ( !   
wor/ (f5d]s 9 ! use ( *ild soldi]s 9    
#bjag1 ! ,dep>tm5t re9/at$ ,burma to !  
li/ 9 #bjah4 ,accord+ to ! ,unit$       
,nations1 ! ,burmese milit>y & e?nic    
gu]rilla gr\ps rema9 p]si/5t            
p]petrators' 9 ! recruitm5t & use (     
*ildr5 9 ,burma44  #c4 ,*ild soldi]s ,x 
is ! s5se ( ,congress t no "o %\ld be   
jail$ = freely express+ him or h]self or
 = speak+ aga9/ ! use ( *ild soldi]s4   
#d4 ,peaceful assembly ,x is ! s5se (   

,congress t ,burma mu/ imm$iately drop  
defamation *>ges aga9/ ! ?ree ,ka*9     
activi/s1 ,lum ,zawng1 ,nang ,pu1 & ,zau
 ,jet1 :o l$ a peaceful rally 9         
,mytky9a1 ! capital ( ,ka*9 ,/ate 9     
,april #bjah1 & t ! prosecution ( ,lum  
,zawng1 ,nang ,pu1 & ,zau ,jet is an    
attempt by ! ,burmese au?orities to     
intimidate1 h>ass1 & sil5ce community   
lead]s & human rights def5d]s :o speak  
out ab\t milit>y abuses & ! impact on   
civilian populations4  #e4 ,press fre$om
 ,x is ! s5se ( ,congress t press fre$om
 is a fundam5tal human "r & %\ld be     
upheld & protect$ 9 ,burma & ev]y:]e1 & 
t ,burmese au?orities mu/ imm$iately    
cease ! arbitr>y arre/1 det5tion1       
imprisonm5t1 & physical attacks (       
j\rnali/s1 :i* h creat$ a climate ( fe> 
& self-c5sor%ip among local j\rnali/s4  
#f4 ,/atem5t ( policy ,x is ! policy ( !
 ,unit$ ,/ates t-- 7#a7 all prison]s (  
consci5ce & political prison]s 9 ,burma 
%\ld be unconditionally & imm$iately    
releas$2  7#b7 ! ,adm9i/ration & !      

,dep>tm5t ( ,/ate %\ld use all ( _!     
diplomatic tools to ensure t all        
prison]s ( consci5ce & political        
prison]s 9 ,burma are releas$2 &  7#c7 !
 ,burmese ,gov]nm5t %\ld repeal or am5d 
all laws t violate ! rights to fre$om ( 
expression1 peaceful assembly1 or       
association1 & ensure t laws su* z !    
,telecommunications ,law ( #bjac & !    
,unlawful ,associations ,act ( #aijh1 & 
laws relat+ to ! "r to peaceful         
assembly1 all comply ) int]national     
human rights /&>ds4  #g4 ,political     
prison]s assi/ance ,! ,secret>y ( ,/ate 
%all cont9ue to provide assi/ance to    
civil society organizations 9 ,burma t  
"w to secure ! release ( prison]s (     
consci5ce & political prison]s 9 ,burma1
 & assi/ance to curr5t & =m] prison]s ( 
consci5ce & political prison]s 9 ,burma4
 ,su* assi/ance may include ! foll[+3   
7#a7 ,support = ! docum5tation ( human  
rights violations ) respect to prison]s 
( consci5ce & political prison]s4  7#b7 
,support = advocacy 9 ,burma to raise   

aw>5ess ( issues relat+ to prison]s (   
consci5ce & political prison]s4  7#c7   
,support = ef=ts to repeal or am5d laws 
t are us$ to imprison individuals z ei!r
 prison]s ( consci5ce or political      
prison]s4  7#d7 ,support = heal?1       
includ+ m5tal heal?1 & po/-inc>c]ation  
assi/ance 9 ga9+ access to education &  
employm5t opportunities or o!r =ms (    
rep>ation to enable =m] prison]s (      
consci5ce & political prison]s to resume
 a normal life4  7#e7 ,! creation1 9    
consultation ) =m] political prison]s & 
prison]s ( consci5ce1 _! families1 &    
repres5tatives1 ( an indep5d5t prison]  
review me*anism 9 ,burma to review !    
cases ( individuals :o may h be5 *>g$ or
 depriv$ ( _! lib]ty = peacefully       
ex]cis+ _! human rights1 review all laws
 us$ to arre/1 prosecute1 & puni%       
individuals z political prison]s &      
prison]s ( consci5ce1 & provide         
recomm5dations to ! ,burmese ,gov]nm5t =
 ! repeal or am5dm5t ( all su* laws4    
,pass$ ! ,h\se ( ,repres5tatives        

,septemb] #bd1 #bjai4;,cl]k4