In the much publicized release of prisoners in Myanmar Wednesday as part of President Thein Sein’s recent amnesty, only one of the released was a political figure from the Shan State. The lone Shan figure released from prison was Major General Hso Ten, the former leader of the now divided Shan State Army (SSA) North. Hso Ten had faced an original 106 year prison term.
He would serve over five years of it after his arrest on 8 February 2005. Government officials had announced the coming release of as many as 6,359 prisoners, with only around 100 political prisoners released Wednesday. The six remaining imprisoned Shan leaders include Khun Htun Oo, Chairman of the former Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), the second winning party in 1990 elections, his secretary Sai Nyunt Lwin, Sai Hla Aung, Sai Nyi Nyi Moe, Sai Htun Nyo and Sai Myo Win Htun. Another imprisoned Shan figure, U Myint Than, died in prison in 2006. All jailed Shan figures faced prison sentences 79 years and upwards.
Though government officials have maintained that no prisoners in the country are political prisoners, many of those suspected jailed in Myanmar as prisoners of conscience were detained for their participation in the 2007’s large scale protests known as Saffron Revolution in Yangon.
Hso Ten and the remaining six Shan prisoners were arrested in 2005 on charges of defamation of the state, association with illegal parties, and conspiracy against the state. A S.H.A.N. article dated 30 May 2011 revealed that many of the imprisoned Shan leaders, including the recently freed Hso Ten, have faced medical problems while incarcerated, according to their families.
Hso Ten, 75, was originally incarcerated in Khamti. Last year, he was moved to Arakan state’s Sittwe.
He was reported to have called one of his daughters to tell her not to wait for him at the Rangoon airport as he would be received by an official transport there. “He said he would attend a meeting with government officials before flying to Lashio (Shan State North capital) tomorrow,” she said.
Though no details have emerged from the meeting, observers say it would have to do with the SSA North, led by Maj Gen Pang Fa, that has been resisting the Burma Army’s offensive since 13 March.
Hso Ten is related to Pang Fa by marriage. Pang Fa’s predecessor Sao Hso Noom, a scion of the Manglern royal house, was the younger brother of Hso Ten’s wife.
The latest information says Hso Ten has postponed his flight to Lashio due to an appointment with a physician in Rangoon today.
