Burma: 14 land rights activists arrested and charged
Event- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Feb 26, 2015
- Event Description
Authorities in Myanmar on Thursday 26th February tore down a protest camp run by villagers demanding the return of land they say was unlawfully confiscated by the former military regime, arresting 14 and charging them with holding an illegal demonstration, according to state media and the group's lawyer. According to the official Global New Light of Myanmar, security forces broke up the protest camp in the eastern Yangon suburb of Migyaungkan where villagers had been calling for authorities to give back the land they say was taken from them by the country's former junta in 1990 for redevelopment plans. "Yangon City Development Committee on Thursday morning dispersed a group staging an illegal protest over[the Migyaungkan] land issue by setting up makeshift tents occupying a sidewalk next to Mahabandoola Park in Kyauktada Township in Yangon Region," the newspaper said. "As authorities concerned filed lawsuits against protesters at Kyauktada Township police station, respective courts charged protestors with Section 68 of Yangon City Development Committee Law and Section 18 of the law on peaceful assembly and peaceful procession." Myanmar's Law on Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Processions is a highly contested piece of legislation that activists and rights groups say gives peaceful protesters heavy penalties and is used to silence activism instead of protecting the right to demonstrate. Section 18 of the law, which was passed in 2011 as Myanmar began to emerge from decades under military rule, requires individuals to obtain a permit to demonstrate and allows the authorities to jail violators for up to one year and fine them 30,000 kyat (U.S. $35). Section 68 of the Yangon City Development Committee Law prohibits people from erecting fences or structures on public land. Robert San Aung, a lawyer representing the Migyaungkan villagers, said 18 people had initially been arrested Thursday, but only 14 were charged. "Among the 18 people who were initially arrested, four were later released as they are only street vendors" who had been selling goods to the protesters, he told RFA's Myanmar Service. "The remaining 14 people were charged under Section 18 and Section 68 of Yangon City Development Committee Law by the Kyauktada township administrative department." The dispersal marked the second time the villagers were evicted, following a similar incident in December when police tore down their protest camp at the gates of City Hall, which had relocated there after being based in Maha Bandoola Park for seven months. Last week, fourteen activists-12 of whom were women, including a 68-year-old-were sentenced to six months in jail each for the earlier protest under Section 18, as well as Sections 143 and 341, or "unlawful assembly" and "wrongful restraint," respectively.
- Impact of Event
- 14
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly
- Freedom of association
- Right to Protest
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Event Location
Latitude: 16.780832999999987
Longitude: 96.149722
- Event Location
- Summary for Publications
On the 26th February 2015, fourteen land rights activists protesting for the return of land they say was unlawfully confiscated by the former military regime, were arrested by authorities and charged with holding an illegal demonstration under section 18 of the Law on Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Processions. This controversial piece of legislation has been criticised by activists and rights groups for giving peaceful protesters heavy penalties and claim it is used to silence activism instead of protecting the right to demonstrate. If convicted, the activists could face up to one year in jail and a fine of 30,000 kyat (U.S. $35).