Burma: land rights activists face charges
Event- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Apr 25, 2013
- Event Description
At 9am on 25 April 2103 in the Letpadaung copper mine area, at Sal Tal village, Sagaing Region, around 100 riot police and 50 soldiers arrived to remove dozens of farmers who had refused compensation from the owners of the Letpadaung copper mine, Chinese state-owned company Wanbao and the military-owned Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd. The farmers reportedly started ploughing their fields three days previously and the police and military arrived to remove the farmers. The farmers were reportedly beaten with batons and had rubber bullets fired at them by the police and military, resulting in injuries to ten of the farmers who are now in Monywar hospital, including one farmer who was allegedly shot in his arm and rib. Three activists involved in the protest were reportedly arrested and sent to the Wan-Bao company building. Stones were reportedly thrown at police lines by protestors and 15 police officers were reportedly injured. Subsequently, the commander of the Sagaing Region Police Force reportedly announced that the police will lodge charges against eight persons for allegedly provoking demonstrations and other alleged illegal actions. The persons named reportedly include six members of the Yangon People's Support Network:Ko Aung Soe (14 charges), Ba Htoo (9 charges), Thar Kyi (6 charges), Ko Latt (8charges), Thaw Zin (5 charges) and Ko Thu (1 charge). The two other persons are reportedly Han Win Aung of the Political Prisoners Families' Beneficial Network (5 charges) and Thaung Taik Oo of the Yangon Institute of Technology Students Union (18 charges). The announcement reportedly goes on to warn that failure to provide information leading to the apprehension of these persons or harbouring of them constitute criminal offenses. Aung Soe along with two other demonstrators are reportedly already being detained at Nyaungbingyi Police Station. On 2 May 2013, a Joint Urgent Appeal was sent to Burma by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, and the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Update 20/06/2013: another Joint Urgent Appeal sent by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, and the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Update 1/7/2013: Burma responded to the 2 May 2013 Joint Urgent Appeal with a clarification which stated that the 25 April 2013 protests were disbanded because they were held in a 'restricted area.' The communication claimed that those against whom charges had been laid had attacked or abetted attacks against police officers during the protest. Update 8/7/2013- Aung Soe (11 years, 6 months), Maung San (2 years) and Ko Soe Thu (2 years) have been sentenced to prison for their participating in the 25 April 2013 protests. They were all sentenced under section 505(b) (intent to cause alarm to the public) and 333 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty) of the penal code, with Aung Soe having additional charges under section 295 and 295(a) (intent to insult a religion). It is unclear whether charges were pressed against the other six activists mentioned above in connection with the 25 April protests. Update 16/08/2013: Burma responded to the 20/06/2013 JUA, providing the police's version of events and further information on the trials of those mentioned in the JUA. Update 05/10/2013: Burma provided further clarification to the 20/06/2013 JUA.
- Impact of Event
- 8
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly
- Freedom of association
- Right to property
- Right to Protest
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Event Location
Latitude: 21.88222220000001
Longitude: 95.9786111
- Event Location
- Summary for Publications
On 25 April 2013 three land rights activists participating in a protest led by farmers dispossessed by the Latpadaung Copper Mine were detained by police in the Wanbao company (the Chinese company which runs the mine in conjunction with the Burmese state) building near the mine. Charges have been laid against eight land rights activists for allegedly instigating the protests: Ko Aung Soe (14 charges), Ba Htoo (9 charges), Thar Kyi (6 charges), Ko Latt (8charges), Thaw Zin (5 charges) and Ko Thu (1 charge) of the Yangon People's Support Network, Han Win Aung of the Political Prisoners Families' Beneficial Network (5 charges) and Thaung Taik Oo of the Yangon Institute of Technology Students Union (18 charges). On 2 May 2013, a Joint Urgent Appeal was sent to Burma by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, and the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Update 20/06/2013: another Joint Urgent Appeal sent by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, and the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Update 1/7/2013: Burma responded to the Joint Urgent Appeal with a clarification which stated that the 25 April 2013 protests were disbanded because they were held in a 'restricted area.' The communication claimed that those against whom charges had been laid had attacked or abetted attacks against police officers during the protest. Update 8/7/2013- Aung Soe (11 years, 6 months), Maung San (2 years) and Ko Soe Thu(2 years) have been sentenced to prison for their participating in the 25 April 2013 protests. They were all sentenced under section 505(b) (intent to cause alarm to the public) and 333 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty) of the penal code, with Aung Soe having additional charges under section 295 and 295(a) (intent to insult a religion). It is unclear whether charges were pressed against the other six activists mentioned above in connection with the 25 April protests. Update 16/08/2013: Burma responded to the 20/06/2013 JUA, providing the police's version of events and further information on the trials of those mentioned in the JUA. Update 05/10/2013: Burma provided further clarification to the 20/06/2013 JUA.