RANGOON — A 73-year-old mother broke into tears when she heard the message from her son, Tun Tun Oo, who is in Meik-Hitla Prison, one of thousands of political prisoners in Burmese jails.
The message was delivered by his brother, who had visited him in prison.
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| Family members of prisoners wait for the release of their loved ones in front of Rangoon’s Insein prison gate in September. (Photo: Reuters) |
Tun Tun Oo told his mother not to worry about him, and "sooner or later, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will be free."
"My son preferred to talk about Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's freedom rather than his own,” she said, holding back more tears. “He’s said repeatedly that only Aung San Suu Kyi can bring better times to Burma."
After news reports appeared recently saying that the regime might release Suu Kyi, people across Burma—and in prisons—have hoped the news is true, and not just another tactic by the military government to buy time before the 2010 election.
The Associated Press news agency reported on Nov. 9, that a senior Burmese diplomat said the junta will release Suu Kyi to take part in the reorganization of her political party.
The wife of a political prisoner in Kalay Prison said, "I told my husband, and he was very happy. He didn't ask about home immediately, but he asked about more Suu Kyi news and information about the NLD. He asked me to give him details about his colleagues who are not in prison."
She said she knew her husband wanted such news, and she had prepared magazines and journals to give to him, since authorities now allow prisoners to read the news in prison.
"They don’t have access to radio, so they don't know the latest news,” she said. “He told me to bring news. He wants it more than food and medicine. He thrives on it," she said.
Similarly, a family member of political prisoner Shwe Maung, who is bedridden in Pyapon Prison with a chronic illness, told The Irrawaddy that his morale improved noticeably when he heard the news of her possible release.
"His is suffering. He can't speak much, and he can't walk, but when he heard the news, he started feeling better," said a family member.
Rangoon tea shops, popular gathering places for regular gossip and the sharing of information with friends, have been buzzing with speculation about Suu Kyi’s release, and the neighborhood where her compound is located has seen more visitors and tourists.
"Since the news came out, more people are coming to the corner of University Avenue [where Suu Kyi lives], and frequenting teashops and restaurants close to Sayar San Road," said a resident who lives on University Avenue.
A Rangoon journalist said: “Some people believe she could be freed, but it will take time, while others have suspicions that the regime is just playing on the news to please the US. Nevertheless, it is obvious everybody wants to see her free."
The Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners-Burma has estimated that there are 2,100 political prisoners in Burma.
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