Mizzima News

New Delhi (Mizzima) – At least four political prisoners including popular hip hop singer Zeya Thaw and his three colleagues were shifted to remote prisons in the country by a vindictive Burmese military junta on Wednesday, sources said.

Zeya Thaw, (27), who was sentenced to six years in prison in November, was transferred from Rangoon's Insein prison to Kawthaung prison in Burma's southern most division of Tanessarim, according to, one of his colleagues.

He was arrested in March, for being involved in anti-junta protests last year and was charged for possessing foreign currency and hobnobbing with illegal organizations.

Much in the same way, his colleagues Aung Zay Phyo was moved to Taungoo prison in Pegu division, Thiha Win Tin was sent to Nyaung-U prison in Mandalay division, and Arkar Bo to Kyauk Phyu prison in Arakan state, the colleague told Mizzima.

Zeya Thaw, along with his colleagues in 2000 formed a hip hop boy's band called the 'Acid' and first introduced rap music in Burma. He became involved in politics after the September 2007 mass protests and formed an activists group the 'Generation Wave'.

Shifting political prisoners on Wednesday from Insein prison to remote jails across the country is a continuation of the process of a series of prison transfers being resorted to since last month.

The current crop of Burmese military dictators, who have maintained their stranglehold on power for 20 years since 1988, over the last two months have handed down appallingly long prison terms to political activists, whom they arrested after the 2007 monk-led demonstrations.