Soe Myint

* 1953

  • U SOE MYINT SECOND CLIP For the second time..I reached the jungle on 15 august 1980. On 19 may 1981 during the battle at the bank of Salween River, I was captured. My captors did not react in excessive way by themselves. They reported to the headquarters. When the order was received to send (us) immediately/promptly, we were sent right away to Insein prison. There, MI 7..MI 6 handled the case to prosecute. We were prosecuted altogether 4 of us 2 from Mandalay Universitytwin brothers...another one from Mandalay Medical Institute/School. .This one turns out now to be well known author Kyaw Win.. Him, the twin brothers and meall together 4. We were imprisoned again. The rest were charged with sections 17/1, 17/2 under Illegal Association Act and sentences 3 years imprisonment. I was charged with further criminal accounts for the review paper on the movements in students category which was found when I was arrested and under sections 124(a) for sedition for which I was sentenced 3 years. Verdict was not concurrent but separate for 2 charges. I was sentenced altogether 8 years. After serving 8 years I was released end of February 1988.After release, I was living in InseinAs soon as I got back home, I witnessed the initial waves of 88. Especially around RIT ( Rangoon Institute of Technology ) where Phone Maw incident took place was not far from where we lived. So if I have to say, I happened to be involved in this 88 general uprising as someone who has political background. Not as an ordinary student or an ordinary people but as someone who has political experience. As the political party I went through was Burma Communist Party and it was contributing its role in 88 uprising I took part in 88 as political duty. And then in 1989.89 june Ko Thet Khaing Enemy's Area Committee of Burma Communist Party was called 4828.He was second leader of 4828 area Party Committee. When they got arrested, I had to run again. I escaped the arrest. But the following year/next year in 1990 December when Enemy Area underground movements (UG) third leader, Ko Kyaw Mya was arrested, UG links were leaked again. Arrest was conducted without fail.At first 2 were at large..only got arrested in November 91. Then brought to military court and charged with 17/1 for which alone I was sentenced 12 years..that is the standard term ordered by those (military). Standard prison term ranged from 8 years, medium 10 yearsto maximum 12 years. The judge can enjoy his discretion in this range. If they don't see any irritating behavior or find similarities compared with previous rulings, the term can be 8 years10 years. In my case it didn't go well. When they asked me if I was guiltyas I never believed being guilty for what I have done, I replied I don't assume being guilty.so they take grudge against me and sentenced maximum 12 years. So here I am, imprisoned for third time in July 1992.

  • My name is Soe Myint and my nickname at home is Ko Soe. I don’t have other name but I have pen names. I am 67 now since I was born on 11 April 1953. I have only one child. Only me and my elder sister whom I take care for the whole life are still alive in my family. So, three of us are now staying together. My father name is U Maung Khat and mother name Daw Ohm. I arrived to Yangon in 1964, so, I didn’t have a chance to see 1962 Seven July Student Protest. Even if I get the chance, I couldn’t know it exactly as I was too young. But I moved to Yangon in 1964 and then passed the matriculation examination. I went to university in 1970 but the blood didn’t get dried within this period. Every moment is still fresh. Something like the place where students’ union building was demolished, The place where the students were killed and Bo Aung Kyaw’s monument At that time, we could see the crack at university stadium resulting from the bombing of students’ union building. Those are the things which make us to be curious what is Seven July. (00:06:01:20) So, I was also interested about this. Learned why this happened Through these student movements, I was interested in politics of our country and I was getting involved. When we were university students around the years 74/75/76, democracy was completely ruined. Therefore, we were getting involved in student movements from a specific role. Frankly speaking, military dictator of that time also presumed the students as rebel. Among rebels, only Burma Communist Party could move very strongly due to their political experience through different government era. So, as usual, young and motivated students had contact with Burma Communist Party during their student life. But there was no legally-established party during that period, and it was also announced Burma Communist Party as illegal. So, students firstly need to contact with UG of the party. In this way, both monks, civilian, students and workers were getting contacted with the political path/wing of Burma Communist Party. For the first time, it was 2 years detention from 1978 to 1980 due to my involvement in student movements. All the arrested students were charged under section 5 (a), 5 (c), 5(j)/ 34 and continued legal proceedings. But all are released during the examination according to the amnesty order 2/80 in 1980. We weren’t imprisoned and getting out after 2 years detention.

A man who stayed behind the bars longer than Mandela did

U Soe Myint spent over 29 years in prison as a political prisoner. Now, He has knee problems and kidney disease due to the tortures during interrogation, long imprisoned life, nutrition problem, suffocating and repression in prison. U Soe Myint was born in Zayat Hla Village, Yay Kyi Township, Ayeyarwaddy Region on 11 April 1953. His parents are U Maung Phat and Daw Ohn. He is the second child among three. He studied Veterinary Science until final year, part II. For the first time, he participated in 74/75/75 student movement and also participated in Burma Communist Party. He was charged under section 5(a), 5 (e), 5 (j)/ 34 for his involvement in 1987 student movement and detained for two years. He was arrested for the second time in 1981 while he and his communist party fought with military troops in the battle ground. He was sentenced to total 8 years imprisonments including 3 years imprisonment under section 17(1/2) and another 3 years imprisonment under section 124(a) for sedition. He was arrested for the third time in November 1991 for his participation together with Burma Communist Part in 8888 Uprising. In 1992, Court-Martial of North Yangon District sentenced him to 12 years imprisonment under section 17 (1). He was sued again in the prison for his inside political movements and sentenced to additional 12 years imprisonment under section 6 and 5 (e). U Soe Myint is one of the prisoners who had longest imprisoned life.