UW-Madison graduate Dr. Salai Tun Than was released from a Burmese prison Saturday night, after conducting a hunger strike since April 27.
Than, who was serving a seven-year sentence, was arrested for demanding freedom of education in front of Rangoon City Hall in Burma.
According to Jeremy Woodrum, director of the Free Burma Coalition offices in Washington D.C., Than was one of 17 freed as a result of extreme international pressure.
\Whenever the regime feels international pressure is going to be increased against them, they let loose a little bit,"" he said.
Additionally, he said he thought Than's hunger strike made the release of prisoners imminent.
""[The strike] injected some urgency into the situation,"" Woodrum said.
Last fall, the UW-Madison chapter of Amnesty International began writing letters to the Burmese government demanding freedom for Than and other international prisoners, according to Sonali Saluja, coordinator of the organization and UW-Madison junior. Saluja said Amnesty International's efforts, along with similar efforts, had a profound effect on the Burmese government's decision.
""When people walk by and we say 'will you sign this petition,' you think ... 'it's not going to make the difference.' In this situation, that is exactly what made the difference,"" she said.
Despite Than's release, Than and organizations worldwide will continue pressuring the Burmese government to free the remaining political prisoners, according to Woodrum. He emphasized that the roughly 1,300 prisoners do not deserve their fate.
""These are not criminals we're talking about here. They're people who've maybe done things like write a poem about democracy or sing a song about freedom ... things that if you did in the Unites States, people wouldn't think twice about.""
