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Tian Chua - Malaysia
One of six government critics held without charge or trial since April 2001 under the Malaysian Internal Security Act - a draconian law often used to stifle legitimate dissent. Following their arrest they were kept in solitary confinement in tiny windowless cells, denied access to lawyers for two months and, AI believes, subjected to intense psychological pressure amounting to torture.

Rajendra Dhakal - Nepal
A lawyer and human rights defender, he has not been seen since his arrest by police on 8 January 1999 from Jamdi, Khairenitar in Tanahun district. Also arrested with him were two teachers from the village who were released two days later.A "disappearance" case, there are fears that Rajendra Dhakal may now be dead. AI is calling on the government of Nepal to clarify his fate or whereabouts.

Ngawang Sangdrol - Lhasa, Tibet, China
A nun from Garu nunnery she was originally sentenced to three years imprisonment in 1992 (when still a young teenager) for taking part in a peaceful pro-independence demonstration in Lhasa. In 1993, she and 13 other Buddhist nuns in prison with her were sentenced to a further six years for singing protest songs. Ngawang's sentence has since between extended on two other occasions and she is now serving a 19 year sentence, the longest imposed on any female political prisoner in Tibet. It is reported that she has a long term kidney problem and is in poor health.

Dr Salai Tun Than - Myanmar
A retired university professor in his early 70s, he was arrested in November 2001 in Yangon - the capital - for peacefully calling for democratic change. He was sentenced to seven years imprisonment under the Emergency Provisions Law. AI considers him to be a prisoner of conscience and calls for his immediate and
unconditional release.

"I received thousands of letters from Amnesty around the world. It surprised me a lot.The prison let me have the letters. At first they tried to select the letters I could have, they would check them one by one but then it was too much, finally they said I could have the thousands of letters on my own."
Dita Sari - beaten, arrested and tortured while demonstrating peacefully in Indonesia; released three years into a five year sentence.

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