An Interview with Bo Kyi, joint Secretary General of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners – Burma (AAPPB), a Mae Sot-based NGO which has provided financial, medical and social assistance to political prisoners in Burma since 2000. It is one of the first organizations to keep records of Burma’s political prisoners and has used the information for advocacy and international campaigns to call for the release of remaining political prisoners. 

Bo Kyi is himself former political prisoner who was imprisoned for seven years after participating in the “8.8.88 uprising” in Burma. After fleeing from his home country to Thailand, he and activist friends founded the organization, determined to provide assistance to over 2,000 political prisoners. 

Prachatai talked to Bo Kyi about his perspectives on recent developments in Burma and the future of the country’s democracy.

Aside from documenting political prisoners, what kind of other assistance does AAPPB give?

We help political prisoners through their families; especially financially. Because we cannot go back, we use a secret group to visit the families of political prisoners and provide funds for them to visit their loved ones in prisons, because political prisoners rely on their families for their food and other necessities. So that is one thing. Another thing is assistance for former political prisoners. We provide funding for medical check-ups for recently released political prisoners. If they need long-term medical treatment, we provide that. We also provide scholarships for the political prisoners’ children. Every year we provide schooling for 200 children inside Burma. But also there are now three students; one in Bangkok, currently studying at Mahidol University, another one in Chiang Mai and one in Hong Kong. These opportunities are for political prisoners’ families – their children, if they’re qualified, because we want to give an education to the new generation.

Only AAPPB provides this kind of assistance. Inside Burma, the NLD also provides financial assistance to political prisoners. Sometimes they provide scholarships to political prisoners’ children. As you can see, we’re trying to provide assistance to them.

So what is the latest number of current political prisoners in Burma?

Now we can confirm at 410 (as of January 26), but we need to continue to verify this. 

Are you quite positive about the 651 prisoners recently released?

I felt happy when I saw my colleagues released from prison. I felt really happy and excited, but in a way I felt dissatisfied with the government, because the government still doesn’t recognize them as political prisoners, so I feel dissatisfied with the government. But in a way, it is good that many important and prominent leaders were released. That means we now have more responsibility to call for the release of remaining political prisoners, who are not well-known. I’m afraid that the international community won’t take an interest in the people who have not been released. So we need to do more for them. If Aung San Suu Kyi was in prison, everyone knows about it and everyone talks about her release. But it’s not the same for unknown people.

Recently, the European Union and the US changed their policies towards Burma, like lifting sanctions, and normalizing diplomatic relations. Do you think the EU and US are overly optimistic?

Premature, I think. They should go step by step. Maybe if the government accepts nationwide peace or a ceasefire, then they [the EU and US] can say ‘we need to think of the next action, like lifting sanctions, and if we are sure or believe that this is going to the right way, then we can lobby to lift all sanctions.’  

Also, the human rights situation in Burma hasn’t improved. This is important, the rule of law is important. Without the rule of law, anyone can be arrested at any time. Maybe for the time being they don’t arrest anyone, but who can say for the next month or two months, or after the election, who can say?

You talk about some political prisoners released with “conditions”; can you explain?

For example, Min Ko Naing was sentenced to 65 years and he has been in prison since 2007 until now. It’s been four years. So if he is to be arrested again, he could have to serve the remainder of his sentence. The president’s statement doesn’t clearly say whether the releases are conditional or unconditional. The law says there are two conditions, one is conditional release and one is unconditional. But the president hasn’t said clearly in the statement if they’re released unconditionally. If he announces this, then everything is clear, but he didn’t say it. When the released political prisoners give interviews, some said that they were released unconditionally; some said they were not, they were released on condition. So there are two views and this creates confusion. Even we’re not sure. Only when they get arrested again will we know.

The NLD is running in the upcoming by-election? Some predict she might be given a ministerial position if she wins. What do you think?

I support Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s decision to register her political party and run as a candidate, but if Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is appointed as education minister what can she then do?

Some people said that now the government is making reforms towards positive changes, Burmese exile organizations would no longer have an excuse to stay outside and they should go back to work inside the country.  What do you think?

The government said we can return to the country, with conditions. For example if I didn’t commit any crime in Burma, and if I didn’t do anything outside Burma, I can go back. But if I did something, either outside or inside, I will be arrested again. It’s considered a little freer, a bit better, that’s all. Another thing is, we cannot be so sure about the situation; if the situation is secure, we can go back.

So for now, for us it’s better to be outside. Some individuals negotiate with the government so that when they visit Burma, then they can leave [go out and come back again]. Not many people have returned to Burma. Very few people have returned to Burma.

Others are the so-called academics. They are invited to join a workshop or something. They go inside Burma for 1 or 2 weeks, and then they can return because they lobby the government. Maybe if I’m allowed to return just for 1 or 2 weeks and then allowed to come back then I will go.

Also, we need to wait and see until 2015, the next election. By-elections mean nothing for us. 48 seats is not the big change. Even if they had already received enough votes for all the seats in the parliament, 48 seats don’t work. So we need to wait until the 2015 election. In that election, how much can the NLD participate, how freely and fairly? You know, people have said that in 2015 we need to go.

So for you, what is the step that the government needs to do truly achieve change?

I think it’s the rule of law. Rule of law is the most important thing. In order to achieve the rule of law, the Burmese government must make some statement, like stopping human rights violations all across the country, then taking action against who do it. I’m not asking for the past, I’m asking for now – the present and the future. So that is what we call for. For example, in the past, the former general who tortured me, all I ask from him is to confess -- that he made a mistake, just that kind of confession we need. It is helpful for reconciliation.

Another thing is, I want to run a rehabilitation programme for the victims. The government must support it financially, or must allow us to look for funding from international donors. If I work in Burma, I cannot accept foreign money. That’s the problem. There are a lot of regulations like that, so we need to talk about the regulations that needs to be eliminated, and what kind of regulations that are needed to work in this situation.

What do you think about Thailand’s massive investment in Burma?

I don’t know much about the economic relationship between Thailand and Burma, but I know Thailand relies a lot on gas and energy from Burma. That’s Thailand’s greatest concern about the Burmese regime. Another thing is, if Thai businessmen do really well, whether in Thailand or Burma, we will not say anything, because I believe that Thailand is our good neighbour, so we can get mutual benefits. That is what we want for Thailand and Burma. By working together, they can get the benefits together.

So Thailand shouldn’t ban or boycott investment?

Thailand wouldn’t do such a thing. But I think it should be more like responsible business. Maybe they need labour standards, to protect the workers. We want responsible business.

It is interesting that you say so, because some Thai activists have been calling for a boycott of Thai investment in Burma for a long time.

Yes, but business should provide labour rules according to labour standards and give higher wages, with responsibility. That would be better for the workers and Thai businessmen. I’m living in Thailand. I see many businessmen, some are good and some are not. So if they have some principles and provide working conditions according to international labour standards, it’s good. But in Thailand it is difficult to do this because Thai businessmen do not comply. The Thai government is weak in law enforcement. This kind of thing will happen in the future but we need to push for it little by little.