April 21, 2015 is the first anniversary of the death of U Win Tin – journalist, democracy activist, founding member of the National League for Democracy, and one of Myanmar’s most high profile and respected political prisoners who spent over 19 years in prison.
At home and abroad, people will be donning blue shirts in memory of U Win Tin and the many political prisoners still incarcerated in Myanmar, according to several activist groups, including the Burma Partnership.
When U Win Tin was eventually released in 2008, he refused to hand back his blue prison shirt, and vowed to wear a blue shirt every day until all political prisoners were released, saying: “If there are no political prisoners … I will take off my shirt, but up until now I haven’t seen good indications.”
Sadly, despite the many promises made by President U Thein Sein to release all political prisoners, U Win Tin continued wearing a blue shirt until the day he died, one year ago, says Burma Partnership.
In fact, the number of political prisoners has increased markedly over the last year. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, as at the end of March, 173 political prisoners remained incarcerated in Myanmar, with a further 316 activists awaiting trial for conducting political activities.
Furthermore, students, garment workers, farmers and journalists have all borne the brunt of the state’s repression. In March alone, 92 people were charged for their civil and political rights activities, with 31 arrested and seven sentenced, mostly as a result of the well-documented student protests in Letpadan and Yangon in early March, reports Burma Partnership.