Nine demonstrators, who dared to protest against the military regime’s failure to check soaring inflation, were released today following long hours of interrogation by security personnel in the Aung Tha Pyay detention camp, according to one of those released.

Tun Tun who was released today along with eight others for staging a demonstration against the military regime on February 22 in down town Rangoon, revealed the manner in which they were interrogated by security personnel in an exclusive interview to Mizzima.

A group of about 20 people raised slogans, held aloft placards and took to the streets demanding that the authorities check widespread corruption, act on skyrocketing prices of essential commodities and provide better education and health care facilities in the country.

”Though they (investigators) didn’t beat me up, questions were asked continuously without allowing me to sleep. It started at midnight and continued till 7 a.m. ”

The questions were endless and focused mainly on who masterminded the demonstration? Who are supporting them financially? Did the protestors aim to get asylum in the U.S embassy in Rangoon?

The 12 investigators seemed to be from the army but were in mufti and asked Tun Tun questions one after another.

”You imagine, one person took seven or eight pages of notes and 12 persons interrogated me. They were working in rotation but I had to be awake all the time,” Tun Tun said.

”I told them we didn’t take any money from others for the demonstration. We don’t have plans to seek political asylum from the US embassy. The authorities allowed demonstrations by the Ko Aye Lwin’s group in front of embassies and we believed we would be allowed too. We were demonstrating to draw attention to people’s suffering,” Tun Tun revealed.

May Win (a)Khin May Win, Kyu Kyu San, Htin Kyaw, Hla Myint Aye, Myo Oo, Hla Thein, Tin Win, Ohn Than, and Tun Tun were detained since February 22.

Most of them were arrested from their homes. The authorities pressured them to sign on a paper saying they would be punished with life imprisonment if they participated in demonstrations illegally and organising it without permission.

However, Tun Tun said that ”I believe I will participate in political actions later on.”