Burma ‘will release’ opposition deputy

By DVB admin

Burma opposition party deputy, Tin Oo, will be released tomorrow when his house arrest term expires, a government official has said.

Colleagues and family members said they were hopeful that the ruling junta would honour the release date for Tin Oo, who was detained along with National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi in 2003 following the Depayin massacre.

An official told AFP that he "will be released tomorrow as his detention period is complete", although the government has been known for doubling back on similar pledges, such as it did with Suu Kyi last year.

Khin Maung Swe, spokesperson for the NLD, said that they couldn’t tell how strong the possibility of his release is.

"His six-year term is up on 13 February, so a lot of people are presuming that he will be released on that day," he said.

"Since our chairperson U Aung Shwe has been unable to come to office [through poor health], U Tin Oo will be taking the leading role in the [central executive committee] if he is released."

Tin Oo’s son, Thant Zin Oo, told DVB from Japan that he was optimistic his father "will be free again very soon".

The retired general was transferred from prison to house arrest in Rangoon in February 2004 under an anti-subversion law.

He has been allowed to leave his home for medical check-ups, and party colleagues said the detainee’s health was "fine" after having an eye operation at a private clinic a few weeks ago.

Suu Kyi told her visiting lawyers on Tuesday that it was still too early to make a decision on whether the NLD should participate in elections this year. She will likely remain under house arrest during polling, while her party has claimed the elections are a sham designed to cement military rule in Burma.

Reference:

This is from DVB (Democratic Voice of Burma) by the admin.

My opinion:

I also hope that U Tin Oo will be released so that he could work for NLD again.