Htay Kywe
| Htay Kywe | |
|---|---|
Htay Kywe in front of 88 Generation Students' Office in Yangon, Myanmar.
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| Born |
June 12, 1968 Yangon, Burma |
| Nationality | Burmese |
| Education | B.Sc. Geology (2nd year), Rangoon Arts & Sciences University |
| Parent(s) | U Kywe and Daw Mi Mi Lay |
Htay Kywe (Burmese: ဌေးကြွယ်, pronounced: [tʰé tɕwɛ̀]) is a repeatedly-imprisoned Burmese pro-democracy activist who was considered a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International.BBC News describes him as a key member of the 8888 Generation movement.
Htay Kywe was the third son of U Kywe and Mi Mi Lay of Yangon; he went on to study geology at the University of Yangon. In 1988, his second year at the university, he became an early organizer in the widespread protests against military ruler Ne Win. On 16 March, he helped organize what the democracy movement would later name the "Red Bridge protest," during which riot police allegedly killed more than 100 protesters. On 22 March, he and his brother Win Kywe were arrested for their role and detained in Insein Prison until July. These protests culminated in a general strike which began on 8 August, giving the "8888 Uprising" its name. Htay Kywe acted as a spokesman for the movement, giving an interview to BBC News.
Following the military coup by Saw Maung's State Law and Order Restoration Council, Htay Kywe was one of the student delegates to meet with the general to seek reconciliation.
In May 1990, Burma held its first multi-party elections since 1960, with Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy winning 392 of 492 available seats. However, the military annulled the results and soon arrested a number of opposition figures, among them Htay Kywe, who was arrested at his home in Yangon on July 1991. On December 30, 1991, he received a fifteen-year prison term, and he remained jailed until 2004. After his release, he remained active in the pro-democracy movement, co-founding the 88 Generation Students Group.
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