Taungup: Four pro-democracy activists were released from Buthidaung Prison recently, after completing their prison terms, their colleague said.
 
"They were released from Buthidaung Prison recently, after they completed serving their prison terms. Now they have returned to their home-towns from Buthidaung," he said.
 
The activists are Ko Than Htay, Ko Moe Kyaw, Ko Zaw Naing, and Ko Aung Naing Min. All of them are from Taungup in southern Arakan State.
 
The four activists were arrested by the Burmese military authorities on March 27, 2008, while they were publicly distributing a statement from the National League for Democracy and a pamphlet with the text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
 
They were charged by the police in the Taungup Court under a section of Act 451, which relates to a person trespassing on property without permission from the owner.
 
The judge in Taungup Township Court sentenced them to one year in prison without allowing them defence counsels and sent them to the notorious prison in Buthidaung in northern Arakan.
 
Even though they were released after their jail term was completed, they have not dared to contact the media, because the authorities have threatened them regarding disclosing information about the prison to the media.
 
"They had a bitter experience in the Buthidaung Prison, but they have to keep it to themselves because the military authorities threatened them about disclosing anything regarding the prison to the media," their colleague said.
 
In Buthidaung Prison, the prison authorities regularly abuse prisoners' rights and sometimes torture political prisoners, when they refuse to follow any prison regulations.
 
An army major came to the prison just before their release and instructed them not to participate in political activities in the future and advised them to live with their families peacefully.
 
The major also told them not to disclose anything about the prison or what happened to them during their time there to the media, the source added.