Burma’s military government has freed 43 of 48 activists arrested for a silent protest march marking the 20th anniversary of the brutally crushed ‘8-8-88’ democracy uprising.
Thein Naing, a senior member of the opposition National League for Democracy in the northwest state of Rakhine, said they were released after questioning and had to sign an undertaking.
He said that five men who played a leading role are still in custody and their fate is unknown.
The protest in the town of Taunggok was virtually the only one in memory of the nationwide revolt, eventually crushed by the army with the loss of an estimated 3,000 lives.
Given last year's widespread fuel price protests, the junta was taking few chances with the anniversary, posting armed police and pro-government thugs at strategic sites in towns and cities.
Leaders of the 1988 uprising, the biggest challenge to army rule dating back to 1962, have been behind bars since the start of the fuel-price demonstrations last August. They are just a few of an estimated 1,100 political prisoners.
