Earlier this month, the newly formed government in Burma announced that it will grant amnesty to over 6,000 prisoners previously detained in the country. This monumental declaration gives some hope to the large population of political detainees who have languished in the repressive nation's prison system.
Politicians, opposition leaders, lawyers, journalists, students and monks, the group of incarcerated individuals are the subject of photographer James Mackay's upcoming book "Abhaya: Burma's Fearlessness." Due out this November, the book will showcase portraits of 300 Burmese dissidents who served prison sentences as a result of their political activities. Student protesters, daring journalists, defiant members of the regime— all of Mackay's subjects were outspoken in their stance against Burma's military junta and suffered jail time or house arrest as a result.
Ludu U Sein Win, one of Burma's most famous journalists, was arrested in 1967 and sentenced without trial to 13 years in prison for his political writings. (Read more about Ludu U Sein Win in the slideshow below). Copyright © James Mackay / enigmaimages.net.
The portraits feature an array of well-known and underground activists, each one holding their hand in the traditional Buddhist gesture of "Abhaya Mudra", which signifies protection, peace and the dispelling of fear, according to TIME Magazine. Written on their raised palms are the names of friends, family members or fellow activists who remain in detention today.
MacKay traveled for three years to capture his images, providing an overview of some of Burma's most celebrated human rights defenders on his blog. Scroll down to view more of his portraits and read the harrowing stories of the dissidents featured in the slideshow below.
Abhaya: Burma's Fearlessness
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi(01 of10)
Open Image ModalDaw Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace Prize winner, leader of the opposition party, the NLD, and Burma's democracy icon, has spent more than 15 years under house arrest in her lakeside home and Insein prison. First detained in July 1989 for 6 years, she was put back under house arrest again from 1999 to 2002 and then finally again in May 2003 after the infamous Depayin incident where the military regime attempted to assassinate her. She was released from her latest sentence in November 2010 and continues to work tirelessly to achieve democracy and national reconciliation in Burma in spite of constant threats and oppression from the authorities.Soe Min Min, a member of the NLD who was arrested in 2008 and sentenced to 8 years for praying for Aung San Suu Kyi's release whilst she was under house arrest. He was released from Insein prison under a presidential amnesty in January 2013.Copyright © James Mackay / enigmaimages.net (credit:Copyright © James Mackay)
Htein Lin(02 of10)
Open Image ModalHtein Lin, former student at Rangoon University, fled to the India-Burma border in 1988 where he joined the All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF). Years later he returned to Rangoon where rather than continue his law studies he decided to work as an artist and comic film actor. In 1998, he was arrested and sentenced to 7 years imprisonment, charged on the basis of an intercepted letter on which his name was listed as a potential activist. He fled Burma and now lives in the UK.Zarganar is Burma's most famous comedian, actor and film director. Previously imprisoned several times for his political activities, he was arrested in June 2008 and sentenced to 35 years for delivering aid to survivors of Cyclone Nargis and talking to foreign journalists about the government's lack of action. He was released from Myitkyina prison under amnesty in October 2011.Copyright © James Mackay / enigmaimages.net (credit:Copyright © James Mackay)
U Tin Oo(03 of10)
Open Image ModalU Tin Oo, Vice-Chairman of the NLD and former General and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, has spent more than 17 years in prison and under house arrest due to his political activities in Burma. He was first arrested in 1976 and charged with high treason. He has been arrested 3 times and was released from his latest sentence in February 2010. He continues in his role for the NLD working to achieve democracy and national re-conciliation in Burma.Aung Zaw Oo, a human rights and labour activist, was arrested in January 2008 for distributing copies of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison but was released in October 2011 under the general amnesty.Copyright © James Mackay / enigmaimages.net (credit:Copyright © James Mackay)
U Win Tin(04 of10)
Open Image ModalU Win Tin, former journalist, writer and founding member of the NLD, was arrested in 1989 because of his political activities and close association to Aung San Suu Kyi. He was jailed for 19 years in Insein prison, mostly in solitary confinement. His sentence was increased whilst in prison when he secretly published anti-government propaganda. He was released in 2008 and despite his age, he still works as a CEC member of the NLD in Rangoon, working endlessly for the release of political prisoners. He wears a blue shirt every day (like the prison uniform) to remind people of those still incarcerated.Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma's democracy icon and leader of the NLD, has spent more than 15 years under house arrest in her lakeside home and Insein prison. She was released from her latest sentence in November 2010 and continues to work tirelessly to achieve democracy and national reconciliation in Burma in spite of constant threats and oppression from the authorities.Copyright © James Mackay / enigmaimages.net (credit:Copyright © James Mackay)
Khun Myint Tun(05 of10)
Open Image ModalKhun Myint Tun, a National League for Democracy (NLD) member of parliament, was arrested in May 1996. He was charged with disturbing the state peace and stability and sentenced to 7 years. Along with fellow MP Kyaw Khin he was later sentenced to a further 3 years for giving videotapes of Aung San Suu Kyi's speeches to an Australian journalist. He was released in 2003 and fled Burma in 2007. He continues his political work in exile as Joint Secretary of The Members of Parliament Union (MPU) and as a Central Committee Member of the NLD-LA.Kyaw Khin is an NLD MP and colleague of Khun Myint Tun. He was arrested in February 2005 after political pamphlets were reportedly found near him in a classroom and was sentenced to 14 years in prison. He was released from Taunglaylone prison in October 2011 under the general amnesty.Copyright © James Mackay / enigmaimages.net (credit:Copyright © James Mackay)
U Zawana(06 of10)
Open Image ModalU Zawana was arrested in 1993 after meeting with UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights Yozo Yokota and informing him of the dire human rights situation in Burma. He was sentenced to 29 years in jail. Upon his release in 2009 the authorities forbade him to return to monkhood so was forced to flee Burma in November 2009 and currently lives on the Thai-Burma border.U Pyinnyar Wuntha is a colleague of U Zawana and a fellow monk currently detained in Insein prison.Copyright © James Mackay / enigmaimages.net (credit:Copyright © James Mackay)
Yu Yu Hlaing(07 of10)
Open Image ModalYu Yu Hlaing was jailed for 1 year because the authorities couldn't find her activist husband so they jailed her instead. The authorities will often arrest family members when they cannot find the person they are looking for. Along with her husband and you children she fled Burma and now lives in Nupo refugee camp on the Thai-Burma border where they are awaiting resettlement to a third country.Nyi Nyi Oo, an NLD youth member was arrested in July 1989 and wrongfully convicted of a bombing of a petroleum factory in Rangoon. Along with two other colleagues he was framed for the incident that was later admitted to having been carried out by the KNU. He was charged with high treason and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was eventually released from Taungoo prison under a general amnesty in October 2011.Copyright © James Mackay / enigmaimages.net (credit:Copyright © James Mackay)
Maw Gyi(08 of10)
Open Image ModalMaw Gyi is a former member of the Tri-Colour student group. He was arrested in Aung San Suu Kyi's home in 1989 along with 40 members of the NLD including his brother Ko Aung. He was detained without trial for 3 years until 1992 when he was finally brought before a military court and sentenced into 8 years imprisonment with hard labor. He was released just 1 month later under a General Amnesty. He fled Burma and now lives in Japan.Thein Lwin, an ordinary civilian, was arrested November 2008 for being part of a group of more than 1,000 people who were demonstrating outside the East gate of Shwedagon Pagoda during the 'Saffron Revolution' in 2007. He is currently serving a 3-year sentence in Insein prison.Copyright © James Mackay / enigmaimages.net (credit:Copyright © James Mackay)
Naing Linn (09 of10)
Open Image ModalNaing Linn was arrested in March 2003 for performing a solo protest in front of the British Embassy in Rangoon. He was jailed for 2 years in Pathein prison. He was forced to flee Burma and currently lives in Nupo refugee camp on the Thai-Burma border where he is awaiting resettlement to a third country.U Nyi Pu, an elected member of Parliament for the NLD in the 1990 general election, was arrested along with four other NLD MPs in August 2008 for writing a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon expressing concern about the National Convention's drafting of the constitution, in which the 1990 elected members were not allowed to participate. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison. In January 2012 he was released under a Presidential Amnesty.Copyright © James Mackay / enigmaimages.net (credit:Copyright © James Mackay)
Ludu U Sein Win(10 of10)
Open Image ModalLudu U Sein Win, one of Burma's most famous, respected journalists and most outspoken critic of the ruling regime was arrested in 1967 and sentenced without trial to 13 years in prison for his political writings. He was jailed in Insein prison and Coco Island. He was released in 1976 but was re-arrested almost immediately and jailed for a further 4 years. He suffered a stroke in prison and despite being paralysed in his right side and in need of oxygen to aid his breathing he continued to defy the regime in writing 2 articles every day under a guise of different pseudonyms. In June 2012 he sadly passed away due to illness.Zarganar is Burma's most famous comedian, actor and film director. Previously imprisoned several times for his political activities, he was arrested in June 2008 and sentenced to 35 years for delivering aid to survivors of Cyclone Nargis and talking to foreign journalists about the government's lack of action. He was released from Myitkyina prison under amnesty in October 2011.Copyright © James Mackay / enigmaimages.net (credit:Copyright © James Mackay)
"Abhaya: Burma's Fearlessness" is available through River Books in November 2012.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.