The announcement came from the US embassy in Rangoon, which has been granted sporadic access to Kyaw Zaw Lwin, also known as Nyi Nyi Aung, since he was arrested upon arrival at Rangoon airport in September 2009.
“We can confirm that Kyaw Zaw Lwin has been released from prison and has left the country,” said US embassy spokesperson Drake Weisert, adding that the US “welcomed the development”.
Unjust accusations
Kyaw Zaw Lwin, a rights activist who fled Burma to the US in 1993, was convicted of forging an identity card, failing to declare currency at customs and violating immigration laws.
Critics of the ruling junta in Burma said however that he was being punished for his high-profile activist work, which included delivering a petition with 600,000 signatures to UN chief Ban Ki-moon calling for the release of political prisoners in Burma.
According to his fiance in the US, Kyaw Zaw Lwin had flown to Burma last year to visit his mother, who has cancer. His sentencing drew international condemnation of the ruling regime in Burma.
The reason for his early release remains unclear. His arrest and sentencing drew international condemnation, and the US has repeatedly called for his release, although there had been little inkling prior to Wednesday that this would take place.
Background
Kyaw Zaw Lwin had been badly tortured under interrogation following his arrest on 3 September 2009 in Rangoon after a flight from Bangkok, and had been denied medical treatment. He had also been denied family visits.
On 24 September 2009 the U.S. Embassy submitted an official letter of complaint to the military government of Burma, protesting at the alleged mistreatment and torture of imprisoned American citizen, Kyaw Zaw Lwin. The same day the state-run newspaperThe New Light of Myanmar reported that Kyaw Zaw Lwin had been arrested on 3 September and accused him of instigating unrest and sabotage and alleged he was planning to launch terrorist attacks.
This allegation was completely unfounded. Nyi Nyi Aung had no links
with terrorist groups, or plans to commit terror attacks in Burma.
There is a total number of 2,185 political prisoners in Burma at the moment, according to Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.
Find more biographic data (2009) about Kyaw Zaw Lwin here.
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