The United States on Thursday urged the Burmese military junta to provide immediate consular access to Kyaw Zaw Lwin, also known as Nyi Nyi Aung, the US national who was arrested on arrival at the Rangoon airport on Sept. 3 and is currently being subjected to a “military dog confinement” in the infamous Insein Prison.
“We call on the Burmese government to grant the United States immediate consular access as required by obligations under the Vienna Convention,” a State Department spokesman, Mark C. Toner, told The Irrawaddy.
A well-known democracy activist, Lwin was arrested by the Burmese authorities on Sept. 3, when he was attempting to visit his mother, an imprisoned democracy activist who has cancer. Later he was accused of using a forged Burmese identity card and illegally importing currencies into the country.
It was on Dec. 3 that he was lasted granted consular access. On Dec. 4, he went on a hunger strike, which he has now ended.
“We confirm that he ended his hunger strike,” Toner said, adding that the State Department is maintaining close communication with his family members and his representative.
“Because, we have not been granted consular access, it is difficult to say exactly how his health is,” he said. “We continue to seek ongoing access to him and do all we can to ensure that.”
On Wednesday, Washington-based international counsel of Lwin sought immediate intervention of the US Special Rapporteur on Torture, alleging that he was being tortured by authorities in Burma.
“Nyi Nyi Aung, who has been unjustly imprisoned in Burma since Sept. 3, 2009, is being subjected to torture by prison officials in Burma’s notorious Insein Prison. The torture is punishment for his hunger strike earlier this month protesting the conditions of Burma’s political prisoners,” said Lwin’s international counsel, Jared Genser and Beth Schwanke, of Freedom Now.
Last week as many as 53 US Congress members also wrote a letter to Snr-Gen Than Shwe urging Lwin's release.
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