A University of Wisconsin alum has remained a prisoner of the government in Burma for more than a year, and his daughter spoke to UW students Tuesday night to raise awareness of his plight in attempts to free him.
Mai Tun Than addressed the University of Wisconsin branch of Amnesty International Tuesday evening to speak about her father, Dr. Salai Tun Than, who was arrested in late 2001 for handing out copies of a petition demanding political reforms in Burma.
Burma has only one political party, the Socialist Party. Dr. Than was an active member, but he was not admired because he founded the Myanmar Integrated Rural Development Association (MIRDA) in 1993. This firm focused on rural development in Myanmar, Burma.
While living with his cousins in the hill region of southwest Burma in 1988, Dr. Than realized how “lousy and underdeveloped” the land was. He requested government aid and when he was denied, tried to garner funds on his own. He worked as a volunteer with his older daughter, son and some of his students to develop the area.
While away from the project one evening, soldiers invaded his firm and destroyed the churches of Dr. Than’s ethnic group with a different religion from his. The soldiers wanted to create conflict among similar interest groups.
After the invasion of Myanmar, Dr. Than tried to organize a protest against the government. This led to his arrest Nov. 29, 2001, after he distributed a petition calling for multi-party general elections within one year under an interim civilian government, with unconditional transfer of power to the victor.
He was jailed in the Insein Prison in a solitary cell with only a bowl since he was not permitted a restroom privilege. Later, he moved to a bigger room with other inmates, but he missed books because he was not allowed to read. He spent most of his days praying.
Mai secretly visited her father while in Burma to get her U.S. visa last September. She noticed Dr. Than’s eyes had deteriorated and organized surgery for him through the International Red Cross. Mai visited her father in the hospital but had to take precautions when traveling through Customs. Instead of flying directly home from Burma, she stopped in Thailand to avoid arrest.
Although Mai said she is bothered by her father’s treatment, she is grateful as well.
“His condition is much better than other prisoners. Other prisoners are deprived of sleep, beaten, tortured and interrogated at all times of the day,” Than said. She said her father has not been tortured.
Mai thanked everyone who is making an effort to help her father, including the University of Wisconsin.
She is hopeful that there will be a government change in Burma soon.
“The conditions keep getting worse and worse. Banks do not work anymore. Many are jobless and can’t survive themselves. It is the time of darkness,” Mai said.
The university has generated three petitions in Dr. Than’s favor, and groups in Belgium, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and California are actively working on his case as well.
Dr. Than earned a Ph.D. in agronomy from the University of Wisconsin in 1959 and has taught at the Institute of Agriculture in Burma.
