Thet Win Aung

Thet Win Aung (MY သက်ဝင်းအောင်, ; 27 August 1971 – 16 October 2006) was a Burmese student activist.

He took part in the 1988 Movement as one of the leading members of his high school student union, Tamwe Township. In 1989, he was elected vice general secretary of the Basic Education Student Union (BESU). He was dismissed from his school for his political involvement in student demonstrations, later jailed for 9 months for aiding in forming the Student Union. In 1994, the MIs tried to arrest him again because he published the ABFSU pamphlets and organized student demonstrations to commemorate the 32nd anniversary of 7 July Affair. (In 1962, the military regime killed hundreds of the university students by dynamiting the student union building at the Yangon University.) Although he escaped, his home was searched frequently and his family was harassed incessantly while he was on his run. From behind the scenes, he took part in the 1996 student demonstrations and helped organized the student protests against the poor quality of education and students' rights in 1998. He was arrested in October 1998, and sentenced to 59 years in prison. At first, he was detained in Kalay Prison, Sagaing Division. He was moved to Khamti Prison, and transferred to the Mandalay Prison at 2004.

Whilst in prison, Thet Win Aung and his fellow prisoners of conscience were subjected to inhumane torture and withheld medical treatment. By keeping him in Mandalay prison, Thet Win Aung was kept as far away from his family as possible - leading him to receive no food parcels or medicines. As a result, he contracted malaria and went on hunger strike. However, Thet Win Aung died in Mandalay prison on 16 October 2006.

Thet Win Aung was elected Honorary Vice-President of the Reading University Students' Union after being adopted as their Amnesty International Group's prisoner.

Thet Win Aung