Kolkata: 31 Arakanese and Karen freedom fighters, who had been detained by Indian authorities since 1998 when they were lured to Indian territory and captured under false pretenses, were released today from Kolkata Presidential Prison in India.
Ko Danya Lin, who is a spokesperson for the group, said shortly after their release, "We 31 comrades are released today but three of our inmates remain in prison. A total of 31 out of 34 were released at 12 pm today. Now we are free."
After their release, the 31 Arakanese and Karen freedom fighters are expected to move to the Indian capital New Delhi, where they will stay before leaving for third countries for resettlement through the UNHCR.
After their release, the 31 Arakanese and Karen freedom fighters are expected to move to the Indian capital New Delhi, where they will stay before leaving for third countries for resettlement through the UNHCR.
"Now we are recognized by the UNHCR as refugees. First we have to go to New Delhi to live there, but we do not know how long we have to live there. We have not decided yet what we will do after our release. We have to study all situations outside after our release. Afterward we will decide what we will do," he said.
The Indian government has coordinated to move the 31 men to New Delhi by plane tonight.
"We are thankful to all those who sympathized with us as well as who have been working for our release incessantly. We are all now very happy because we are free. Everybody knows the prisoners' situation and how difficult it is for a human being to live there. Now our hope has reached our hand. We do not have words to express our happiness," Ko Danya Lin said with emotion.
The 34 freedom fighters were from the National United Party and the Karen National Union that are fighting against the central government for freedom of their states.
They came to Lansford Island in the Andaman Archipelago from the Thai - Burma border in 1989 to set up a small naval base under a secret agreement with Indian intelligence agency RAW.
When they reached Lansford Island on 10 February, 1989, Indian soldiers gunned down six leaders of their group in cold blood, including Arakan Army Chief Bo Raza. Since then they have been detained in Indian prisons.
Background of their cases
The freedom fighters are 24 Arakanese and 10 Karen ethnics who fought for human rights and democracy for their homelands in Burma. They have been detained in India since February 1998 after the Indian spy agency lured them to Andaman and Nicobar Islands on the pretense of providing them a base of operations there.
Six of their leaders, known as Khine Raza, Saw Tun, Ran Naing, Lin Zan Khine, Phado Mhu Lway, and Saw Myint were killed in cold blood by Indian forces after arriving on the islands.
After detaining them for over 12 years in jail, their case was finally settled on 12 July, 2010, in the City Sessions Court in Kolkata when they agreed to accept a plea bargain with the Indian spy agency that was the main plaintiff in the case.
The judge of the court, Uday Chandra Nag, sentenced them to 3 years in prison on charges of illegal immigration and possessions of weapons and explosives, with a fine of 6,000 Rupee for each of them.
According to the judgment by the court, the 12 years they have already spent in jail have been counted as time served for their sentences and they were remanded to be held in jail for additional eight months if they failed to pay the fines to the court.
Their fines were paid to the court a month after their verdict, but eight months on, they are still being held behind bars with looming uncertainty for their release.
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