Athough access to prisoner information by independent investigators is severely restricted, Amnesty International has identified, as of early 1992, more than 1500 prisoners of conscience and possible prisoners of conscience in Myanmar. AI knows of almost 600 political arrests in the first seven months of 1991 alone. AI is concerned about detention without charge or trial of political prisoners and about unfair political trials which often result in long prison sentences. Deaths in detention have been reported: U Maung Ko, a senior member of the NLD, and U Tin Maung Win, an NLD MP, are two among several cases. Ethnic minorites e.g. Mon, Karen, Rohingya and Indian peoples, have been allegedly killed, ill-treated or seized and compelled to work for the army.
