Education
Dagon University.
Dagon University.
She was imprisoned three times between 1988 and 2012, and Amnesty International considered her to be a prisoner of conscience. These protests took their name from the date of the largest march, 8-8-88. Mie Mie, a 10th-grade high school student at the time, joined the uprising and became active in the All Burma Federation of Student Unions.
On 7 March 1989, she was arrested for the first time for distributing fliers commemorating the one-year anniversary of the death of Phone Maw, whose killing by security forces helped prompt the previous year"s uprising.
She was detained for three months, then released. In 1990, she traveled to campaign on behalf of the National League for Democracy (NLD).
In 1996, Mie Mie was studying at Dagon University in Yangon when she took part in a protest and was subsequently arrested. She was then imprisoned for seven years in Tharyarwaddy Prison.
Following her 2003 release, she became involved with the pro-democracy 88 Generation Students Group.
When rising fuel and commodity prices led to widespread unrest in Yangon in August 2007, the 8888 Generation Students Group played a major role in organizing protests. The New York Times described Mie Mie as "prominent in photographs and videos of the first small demonstrations", noting that she appeared in the shots "with her fist raised". On 22 August, the day after several 88 Generation leaders had been arrested, Mie Mie led a protest march and then went into hiding.
She was arrested herself on 13 October 2007 at a rubber plantation where she was hiding with fellow leaders Aung Thu, Htay Kywe, Zaw Htet Ko Ko and Hein Htet.
Leading up to her trial, Mie Mie was detained with other activists at Insein Prison. On 11 November 2008, she and other 88 Generation members were convicted of four counts of "illegally using electronic media" and one count of "forming an illegal organization", for a total sentence of 65 years in prison apiece.
Mie Mie reportedly shouted in response to the judge, "We will never be frightened!"
Amnesty International named her a prisoner of conscience and called on multiple occasions for her release. Human Rights Watch called for the 2007 protesters to be exonerated and freed, as did Front Lincolnshire.
Mie Mie"s health was said to be deteriorating as a result of her imprisonment.
In 2008, an NLD spokesperson alleged that prison authorities were refusing her proper treatment for her heart condition. Her husband stated that she also suffers from spondylosis and arthritis. Mie Mie was released on 13 January 2012 as part of a mass presidential pardon of political prisoners.
Mie Mie married Hla Moe in 1990 and has three children with him.
Following a government crackdown on protestors, members of the 88 Generation Students Group were swiftly arrested.