U Win Tin

Timeline

March 12, Born in Kyoe Pin Kawt, Pegu Division, to U Pu and Daw Amar.
1930
1943 At just 13 years of age, starts his career in journalism at the "Ahkyo
Saung Journal".
1950 - 1954 Works as an Assistant Editor at the Burma Translation Society.
(pmayAdrmef vufaxmuft,f'Dwm)
1953 Studies at Rangoon University where he receives a Bachelor of Arts
[B.A] in English Literature, Modern History and Political Science.
1953 Works as the night program editor for a foreign news agency, Agence
France-Presse (AFP). (attufzfyD EdkifiHjcm;owif;Xme nbufydkif; t,f'Dwm)
1954 Becomes an Advisory Editor of the Burmese Translation Group.

(pmayAdrmef vufaxmuft,f'Dwm)
1954-57 Serves as a consultant as well as a trainee in the Djambartan Publication
Company, based in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Publishes the newspaper " wdkYjynfowif;", a collection of news from

Burma which is distributed among Burmese living outside Burma.
1957- 69 Co-founds the Mirror Daily Newspaper, becoming executive editor.
1968 One of the oldest newspapers in Burma, Hanthawaddy Daily, is
nationalized by the Burmese Socialist Program Party [BSPP] and moved
to Mandalay in central Burma.
1969 Appointed as the Editor-in-Chief at Hanthawaddy. Speculation that U
Win Tin is well respected at this time by Burma’s military leader,
General Ne Win.

Travels to many Asian and Western countries as the Editor of

Hanthawaddy.

Organizes the famous literacy program, Mandalay Saturday Reading

Club (rEåav;pae pmzwf0dkif;) , in which many prominent journalists,
writers and historians participate, such as Lutu U Hla, Lutu Daw Amar,
Maung Swan Ye, Dr. Than Htun, Mg Thar Noe, Tin Moe, Kyi Aung and
Ko Lay.

Later, anti-government letters and articles are presented in the Mandalay

Saturday Reading Club (rEåav;pae pmzwf0dkif;) , drawing the ire of
government officials.
1978 Hanthawaddy is shut down by the BSPP due to U Win Tin's editorial
 critiques against the government as well as the activities of the Mandalay
Saturday Reading Club

Later, he starts to write many articles, critical essays and research papers.
1988 Vice-chairman of the Journalists Union during the 1988 uprising.
(pma&;q&mrsm; or*¾)
Actively writes articles in the "Union News" which is published by the
Students Union.

Publishes the "Forum Journal" on 30 August, 1988. " qE´azmfoH owif;pm"

Joins the National League for Democracy (NLD) and is appointed as a
Member of the Central Executive Committee.

Becomes Secretary of the NLD when U Aung Gyi quits in December.

1988 Acts as a Member of the Central Executive Committee of the NLD and a
close advisor to Aung San Suu Kyi.
June 6, 1989 Challenges the government's announcement No. 38, which limits the
activities of political parties. Organizes civil disobedience by stating "It
is our responsibility to oppose illegitimate law and order".

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July 4, 1989 Arrested by the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council
(SLORC), which later refashions itself as the State Peace and
Development Council (SPDC).
Oct, 1989 Formally charged with a criminal offence and sentenced to three years
hard labor for having offered hospitality to an NLD member whose
companion had allegedly undergone a criminal abortion. On these
grounds he is accused of sheltering a criminal under Article 216 of the
Criminal Code
June, 1992 Sentenced to an additional 10 years imprisonment under Section 5(j) of
the 1950 Emergency Provisions Act.
1994 Writes "Suu-Slorc dialogue". “ awGYqHkaqG;aEG;tajz&Sma&;
"

Releases a statement calling on the government "to release Aung San Suu
Kyi," "to stop the National Convention,"and "to start genuine dialogue."

Demands the immediate initiation of tripartite dialogue, announcing that

 "tripartite" is the only way to solve the political deadlock.
1994 US Congressman Bill Richardson meets with him in prison.
1995 Releases a letter, "Appeal to the world," asking the international
community to take action against the SPDC government.

Releases a letter, "Appeal to the public," urging the world to condemn the
SPDC.

Advises Aung San Suu Kyi that the NLD should resign from the National
Convention, urging the opposition leader to pursue two immediate tasks:
(1) (NLD) Party reform, and (2) National Convention reform.
July, 1995 Hands over a 93-page report, "Human Rights violations in the prison," to
the UN General Assembly via the United Nations (UN) Special
Rapporteur for Human Rights, Professor Yozo Yokota.
March 28, Receives an additional seven years imprisonment under suspicion of
1996 smuggling a letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on Burma regarding the
ill-treatment and poor conditions in the prison.
September, Admitted to Rangoon General Hospital due to cardiac problems.
1997
October 10, Authorities admit that U Win Tin has been taken to the hospital in order
1997 to have additional medical treatment. It is not known for how long he
remains in the hospital.
2001 Awarded the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.
2001 Awarded the World Association of Newspapers' Golden Pen of Freedom
Award.
Nov, 2002 Transferred to Rangoon General Hospital due to a heart problem.
June, 2003 Returns to the Insein Prison.
Dec, 2003 Visited by Amnesty International.
2006 Receives the Reporters Without Borders award.
Oct, 2007 Human Rights Special Rapporteur Paulo Sergio Pinheiro meets U Win
Tin during his trip of inspection following the September crackdown in
Burma.
Jan 2008 Undergoes a second hernia operation.
June 2008 Suffers from asthma and spondylitis (inflammation of the vertebrae).
Many report that he is in need of dental treatment and appears to have
eyesight problems. He is also reported to be wearing an ill-fitting neck
brace, causing discomfort.
August 4, 2008 Meets with the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights, Tomas Ojea
Quintana.
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