Labor Activist Gets Solitary in Prison and Cyclone Orphans have to work for low paid

“She suffers from heart problems and requested regular checkups. But prison officials denied her request and put her into solitary confinement instead,” said Bo Kyi. According to AAPP, security at Insein Prison, where Su Su Nway and many other political prisoners are being held, has been tightened since an incident two months ago, when Cyclone Nargis blew the roof off of one of the prison buildings. In the ensuing panic, 36 inmates were shot to death by prison guards and riot police.Since the May 2-3 cyclone, prison authorities have imposed new restrictions, such as refusing to allow relatives of some political prisoners to visit regularly or bring provisions. Walking exercise time has also been reduced from one hour to just 20 minutes a day, according to AAPP. When asked why the new restrictions were needed, prison authorities said that were being implemented for “security reasons,”said prison visitor.Prison authorities have come down hard on prisoners they deem to be uncooperative. Two student activists, Nyan Lin Aung, who was arrested in June after taking part in Cyclone Nargis relief efforts, and Maung Maung Latt were recently placed in solitary confinement for arguing with prison wardens.Recently, human rights group Amnesty International expressed concern over the health of 79-year-old Win Tin, Burma’s longest-serving prisoner of conscience, who has been in prison since 1989. Win Tin needs urgent medical attention and has been suffering from severe asthma attacks and lung problems, along with heart disease and spondylitis (inflammation of the joints of the spine), the group said in a July 4 press release. Human rights groups estimate as many as 1,800 political prisoners are still behind bars in Burma.

Cyclone Orphans have to work for low paid

children who had lost their parents had migrated to the cities to find work in tea shops, small businesses and households, often encouraged by family members, the monk said. Some were as young as 10.A senior monk in Mawlamyinegyunn said his monastery had sent 20 orphaned children to Phaungdawoo monastery in Mandalay, where they were being educated.“There are so many children who desperately need care, and we are now trying to collect information and data about orphans so we can help them,” he said.The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Monday that 428 children had been separated from their parents by the cyclone. More than 50 centers had been established to help them, said UNICEF spokesman Zafrin Chowdhury.According to government figures, more than 84,000 people died in the cyclone and 54,000 are missing. The most vulnerable victims of the disaster were children, UNICEF said.The International Labour Organization has expressed concern about the possibility that children may be forced to help in reconstruction work, and has warned UN agencies and relief workers of “the increased risk of incidences of forced labor, child labor, human trafficking and migrant labor as the authorities and individuals come to grips with the sheer size of the tragedy.”