Min Ko Naing

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Min Ko Naing
Min Ko Naing bows to reform Democratization in Burma

Born

Min Ko Naing (born 18 October 1962), whose name literally means "conqueror of kings" was born Paw Oo Tun in Rangoon (Yangon), Burma. He is the President of Universities Student Union, Burma, however never approved official. He is one of the most well-known political dissidents in Myanmar (Burma).

1 Early life/student years
2 Involvement with All Burma Federation of Student Unions
3 Political imprisonments
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Early life/student years

Min Ko Naing's interest in politics began at the Rangoon Arts and Science University in the mid-1980s where he studied Zoology. During his student years, he was an active member of the arts club, where he enjoyed reading, writing poems and drawing cartoons, especially satirical ones. According to people who knew him, Min Ko Naing was a member of a performance troupe which took part in the traditional Than Gyat competition during the annual Water Festival Thingyan in April, called "Goat-Mouth and Spirit-Eye" and performed satirical plays and sketches satirizing Myanmar's government and the lack of freedom and democracy.

Student unions at that time, as now, were illegal in Burma; however he and other students formed secret study groups in anticipation of protests against the worsening economic conditions in Myanmar. As the first signs of serious public unrest in Burma began to appear in 1985, the year Ne Win's Burma Socialist Programme Party demonetized the 100-kyat note, Min Ko Naing and his close colleagues secretly established an underground student union in anticipation of a political uprising.

[edit] Involvement with All Burma Federation of Student Unions

Min Ko Naing formed and organized the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU), a nationwide student union to oppose decades of illegitimate military rule. The student union has largely contributed to the 8888 Uprising, during which millions of people marched on the streets, protesting against the dictatorship ruling the country and calling for democracy. Unfortunately, the military regime, now known as the State Peace and Development Council, responded to the uprising with brutal force, gunning down up to 10,000 persons.

[edit] Political imprisonments

Min Ko Naing has been forced to go "underground", continuing his organizing work while being forced to hide and to move from house to house every night, in order to avoid arrest. After several months,however, he has been captured along with other students and sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment, under Section 5(j) of the 1950 Emergency Provisions Act, vaguely-worded legislation which is frequently used to imprison political prisoners, for instigating, according to the military regime, "disturbances to the detriment of law and order, peace and tranquillity". His sentence was commuted to 10 years under a general amnesty in January 1993.He has been considered a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International, which intensively campaigned for his release.

According to Amnesty International, Min Ko Naing has been severely tortured and ill-treated during the early stages of his detention and his health suffered as a consequence. During his interrogation he was reportedly forced to stand in water for two weeks until he collapsed, and as a result, his left foot became totally numb. In 19 November 2004, he has been released from prison, after being imprisoned for 15 years.

However, after almost two years of his release in 2004, Min Ko Naing, along with other four leading student leaders, was rearrested in late September of 2006. The other four arrested student leaders were Ko Ko Gyi, who was freed from prison in 2005, Htay Kywe, Min Zeya and Pyone Cho. Despite the military regime's insistence that it was just taking these student leaders into detention for questioning, the authorities later confirmed the arrest of Min Ko Naing, as well as the other student leaders, stating that the five student leaders were held as a precaution against what the regime called internal commotion, instability and terrorism.

After heavy criticism about the arrests and demands for his immediate release, the authorities released Min Ko Naing on January 11, 2006.

Min Ko Naing has won international awards for his efforts, such as the Civil Courage Prize 2005, the Homo Homini Award by People in Need Foundation and the John Humphrey Freedom Award in 1999.