Uwazi

Myanmar police have charged six activists who participated in protests against a year-long government-ordered internet service shutdown in Myanmar�s conflict-ridden Rakhine state, accusing them of violating the country�s peaceful assembly law.

Five of the activists are from Yangon-based Athan, a freedom of expression advocacy group. They were taken into custody for denouncing the internet ban by hanging posters on an overpass in downtown Yangon on June 21, questioning whether the ban was intended to cover up possible atrocities committed by the Myanmar military in the conflict zone.

Myo Min Tun, an activist from the Ramree Township Youth Network in Rakhine state, also was charged for participating in a protest in Ramree town on the same day. A group of young people wearing T-shirts saying �Oppose Internet Oppression� demanded the restoration of internet access, according to photos the group posted on Facebook.

All six activists have been charged under Section 19 of the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law, which entails criminal liability for organizing or participating in an assembly for which notice has not been given to local officials.

Rights groups have criticized the statute as incompatible with democracy, saying its provisions are vaguely written and could be used arbitrarily to restrict freedom of expression. They also point to the law's inclusion of prison sentences for peaceful protests.

Ye Wai Phyo Aung, an Athan cofounder, said police informed the group that five of its members, including executive director Maung Saungkha, had been charged, but provided no details or the identities of the others arrested.

�They have filed the charges for the protests at the Sule overpass downtown,� he told RFA. �They displayed posters and banners to protest against the internet shutdown.�

Pe Than, a lawmaker from Rakhine�s Myebon township, said the internet service blackout has hurt residents. He has appealed to the government to lift the ban.

�There have been several losses for the local people in terms of education, health, and social and government administration,� he said.

�It has also intensified the spread of fake news, rights violations, and war crimes,� he added, referring to the growing state of lawlessness in the conflict zones. �The local people are paying the price.�

The internet shutdown originally was imposed in June 2019 in eight townships in Rakhine sate and in Chin state�s Paletwa township amid intensifying clashes between government forces and the rebel Arakan Army (AA). Authorities later lifted the restriction in Rakhine�s Maungdaw township.

The 18-month-long conflict that has killed 260 civilians and displaced more than 160,000 others.

The government has extended the ban until Aug. 1, saying it will lift it when the region is secure.

Myanmar military spokesman Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun said Tuesday that the internet shutdown in the remaining townships must remain in place to prevent the leakage of army information and the spread of hate speech on social media.

Rights groups and foreign diplomats in Myanmar have called on officials to reinstate the service, arguing that the cutoff has prevented civilians from accessing information about COVID-19 and from contacting humanitarian aid groups.

On 21 June 2020, five NGO workers based in Yangon and a pro-democracy defender based in Ramree Township were charged by the police for violating the peaceful assembly law after organising a peaceful mob to protest against internet shutdown Myanmar.

Six labor rights activists, including two union leaders from a factory in Yangon�s Dagon Seikkan Township, were jailed for three months on Monday for leading strikes which violated COVID-19 orders.

Since May, 2, more than 100 workers from the Blue Diamond bags factory have blocked the entrance to demand full wages during April, although operations stopped from April 19 to 30 due to government orders.

The strike was led by members of the unregistered All Burma Federation of Trade Unions (ABFTU).

Ma Thet Htar Swe of the ABFTU told The Irrawaddy that the authorities on Monday broke up the strike and arrested two leaders and four ABFTU members without holding any talks.

That evening factory union leaders Ma Zar Zar Htun and Ma Lay Lay Mar and ABFTU members Ko Kyaw Myo, Ko Myo Gyi, Ko Min Min Naing and Ko Thet Oo Maung were sentenced to three months in prison by the Dagon Seikkan Township Court under the Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases Law, according to ABFTU.

On April 16 the government banned gatherings of five or more people under coronavirus preventative measures with the threat of up to six months in prison and fines.

Dagon Seikkan Township administrator U Zaw Naing Oo confirmed the prosecutions to The Irrawaddy.

Before the Thingyan holidays, Blue Diamond workers held strikes demanding their employer close the factory for a month with full pay to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

�There will be strikes for labor rights in the future. Our demands for rights cannot be halted by prosecutions,� said labor activists Ma Thet Htar Swe.

She said five other workers� leaders from the Rainwear House and Brightberg factories in Dagon Seikkan also were arrested last night over strikes held before Thingyan.

State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi told representatives of employers and labor unions via a video conference on April 22 that the government would take action against anyone violating COVID-19 restrictions.

On 4 May 2020, six labour rights defenders were arrested by the police and jailed by a local court for organising a strike allegedly in violation of COVID-19 orders in Yangon, Myanmar.

Authorities in Myanmar Monday charged nine students with violating the country’s Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law after they staged a protest Sunday against the government’s suspension of internet services in restive Rakhine and Chin states, home to fighting between ethnic insurgents and Myanmar’s military.

The nine students organized and were part of a gathering of about 100 who demanded that the government reinstate mobile internet access in nine townships in Chin and Rakhine. Internet access was blocked in June of last year. In five of the nine townships, access was later reinstated, but then blocked again earlier this month.

Under section 19 of the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law, the students could face sentences of up to three months, because they did not receive prior permission to hold the protest.

Sources told RFA’s Myanmar Service that police officers in plainclothes ventured onto the campus of Yangon University to make arrests. Six of the nine students who were charged were in custody, Reuters news agency quoted a participant in the protest as saying.

One of the accused students, Myat Hein Tun, secretary of the university's Rakhine Students Union, told RFA that he disagreed with the manner in which the arrests were made.

“I think it is totally unacceptable,” Myat Hein Tun said.

“They should not make arrests on a university campus,” the student leader added.

Another student, Htoo Khant Zaw, secretary of the Federation of Myanmar Student Union, told RFA that organizers felt they did not need permission to stage their protest because under a democratic government, they have the right to peacefully protest.

“We are not allowed to express our opinions,” Htoo Khant Zaw said.

“If we had applied for permission to protest as mandated by Article 19 of the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law, [the authorities] would tell us what slogans we could use and which route the protesters could take, and they would tell us not to deliver long speeches, so it does not make sense,” he added.

RFA contacted the police to inquire about the arrests, but an official from Kamayut Township Police Station said the police were not at liberty to answer questions on the matter.

During a news conference on Saturday, the government justified the internet shutdown in Chin and Rakhine states, saying it was for the benefit of the country. The government also said that access would not be restored while there is armed conflict in the region.

Ye Wai Phyo Aung, founder and research manager of Athan, a youth-led free speech advocacy group, told RFA that charging students for protesting against the internet shutdown was a “double violation of human rights.”

“We have seen so many cases of the government charging people who are merely practicing the right to freedom of expression and to criticize the wrongdoing of the government.”

On 24 February 2019, nine students were arrested by the police and charged for organising a protest the day before in Yangon, Myanmar.

Five labor rights activists, including a labor activist from a US-owned garment factory, were threatened with 24 days in prison unless they paid fines of 30,000 kyats (US$21) at Yangon’s Dagon Township Court on Feb. 11 for an unlawful assembly.

The five led more than 400 factory workers from the Natural Garment Company in Shwelinban industrial zone, Hlaing Tharyar Township, to the Yangon regional government offices on Nov. 7, 2019. They called on the National League for Democracy’s regional chief minister, U Phyo Min Thein, to take action against employers who they said violated labor rights and employment contracts.

Garment factory worker leaders Ma Thandar Phyoe, Ko Kyaw Myo Htike, Ko Chit Nan Maung and Ko Pyae Sone Aung and activist Ma Moe Sandra Myint from the labor rights advocacy group Action Labor Rights, were sued by Dagon police under Section 19 of the Unlawful Assembly Act.

Several labor supporters had to help pay the court fines to avoid prison sentences for the five union representatives.

“We just went there to request government help with our labor rights violation case. But we were sentenced although we did nothing wrong. This is unfair,” activist Ma Moe Sandra Myint told The Irrawaddy on Thursday.

The case undermined trust in government as no action was taken against employers who repeatedly violated labor rights and contracts, said Ma Moe Sandra Myint.

The labor disputes began in August 2019 because staff said their salaries were cut. Around 1,500 factory workers reportedly went on strike in September.

Media reports said strikers stopped 10 Chinese technicians and two interpreters from reaching the factory in mid-September as the management called for talks.

Strikers released the factory’s technicians and interpreters after the township offered to hold negotiations.

The factory announced its closure on Nov. 7, saying that operations had been disrupted by the strike. The management said it would compensate workers for the closure. The announcement led to the November protest.

The Natural Garment management was unavailable for comment. The clothing factory closed last year only to re-open with many of its former staff. Union leaders were excluded, said Ma Moe Sandra Myint.

On 11 February 2020, five labour rights workers including two WHRDs were fined and threatened with imprisonment for leading a protest in the worksite by the police in Yangon, Myanmar.

The Myanmar authorities should immediately and unconditionally release four activists who have been convicted and sentenced to one month in prison simply for the peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Civil Rights Defenders said today.

On January 17, 2020, the Myawaddy Township court in Kayin/Karen State, south eastern Myanmar, sentenced four activists – Naw Ohn Hla, Maung U, U Nge (aka) Hsan Hlaing, and Sandar Myint – to one month in prison after finding them guilty of protesting without authorization under Article 19 of the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law. The law officially only requires notification of a protest but in practice, authorities treat the notification requirement as a request for permission. It has frequently been used to target peaceful activists, in particular those campaigning for justice for communities affected by human rights violations and abuses.

Police charged the four activists after they participated in a peaceful demonstration organized by residents of the Shwe Mya Sandi housing project in Kayin/Karen State on April 19, 2019. Residents had been protesting against demolition of their homes in February 2019, after the government declared that the land used for the project had been acquired unlawfully and began demolishing their homes. Protest organizers Maung U, U Nge (aka) Hsan Hlaing, and Sandar Myint had notified authorities of their intention to march along the Myawaddy road. Naw Ohn Hla was not involved in organizing the protest, however she joined in a show of solidarity. All four were arrested soon afterwards and charged under Article 19 of the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law. The court sentenced each of them to one month in prison. They are currently detained in Hpa An prison, Kayin/Karen State.

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Civil Rights Defenders consider all four activists to be prisoners of conscience, imprisoned solely for the peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. All three organizations call on the Myanmar authorities to release them immediately and without conditions, and quash their convictions.

The rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are enshrined in Articles 19 and 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Under international human rights law and standards, certain restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly may be imposed, but only in narrow, clearly defined circumstances. Such restrictions must be provided by law; be limited to certain specified purposes such as national security, public order or respect of the rights or reputation of others; and be necessary and proportionate to the

achievement of one of those permissible purposes. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Civil Rights Defenders are concerned about a number of laws in Myanmar – including the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law – which are incompatible with the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and which are used to arrest, prosecute and imprison human rights defenders and other peaceful activists. Our organizations urge the Myanmar authorities – in particular Parliament – to take immediate action to review and repeal or amend all such laws to bring them into line with international human rights law and standards.

Human rights defenders play a vital role in the protection and promotion of human rights, and it is crucial that they are able to speak out freely on human rights violations, including those committed by the military against civilians in areas of armed conflict, without fear of repercussions. Under Article 2 of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, each state has a duty to create the conditions necessary to defend human rights within their jurisdictions. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Civil Rights Defenders call on the Government of Myanmar to ensure an environment in which it is possible to defend human rights without fear of reprisal or intimidation.

On 17 January 2020, four community-based HRDs including one WHRD were arrested for having hold a peaceful protest in April 2019 against community's housees demolition by the local court in Myawaddy, Myanmar.

A court in Tanintharyi Region issued warrants Monday for the arrest of lawyer U Kyi Myint and poet U Saw Wai for failing to appear in court for a case over their remarks on Myanmar’s constitutional amendment process.

The Myanmar military filed the case in Tanintharyi’s Kawthaung Township against three prominent political activists—U Kyi Myint, U Saw Wai and former Myanmar army captain Nay Myo Zin—for remarks they made in April about charter amendment, suing the three activists under Section 505 of the Penal Code for allegedly defaming the military and military leadership.

The Kawthaung Township Court began hearings in the case on Jan. 20 after sending summons letters to the defendants.

On Monday, only Nay Myo Zin, who is already serving a one-year prison term in Insein Prison on the same charge from another military lawsuit, appeared in court. The military’s plaintiff also did not appear in court on Monday.

Poet U Saw Wai, a former political prisoner, told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that the court’s decision to issue an arrest warrant goes beyond what is allowed under the law, as he has not received any legal summons letter from the court.

“There has never been justice and there never will be as the judiciary is in the hands of the military. That is why we talked about supporting amendments to the charter,” said U Saw Wai.

Lawyer U Kyi Myint told reporters that he did not attend the court hearing because police haven’t conducted a proper investigation into the case, as required under Criminal Procedure Code Section 202.

On Thursday, U Kyi Myint told The Irrawaddy that he had already reported to the Kawthaung Township Court and police force that, due to the warrant, he will appear in court for the next hearing, scheduled for Feb. 3.

U Saw Wai added that the defendants will hold a press conference in Yangon on Saturday.

Section 505(a) of the Penal Code carries a penalty of up to two years in prison for making, publishing or circulating statements, rumors or reports intended to cause military officers to mutiny, or to fail in or disregard their duties. Anyone sued under Section 505(a) must be arrested and detained, as it is a non-bailable offense.

In November, 130 Myanmar civil society groups released a joint statement condemning the military’s attempt to prosecute the three activists and calling on the military to drop the case immediately.

Over the past four years, the military has filed 47 lawsuits against 96 people, including 51 activists, 19 individual citizens, 14 journalists, five religious representatives, four artists and three members of political parties, according to a recent report by Athan, a group advocating for the right to freedom of expression in Myanmar.

Of the military’s 47 lawsuits, most have been filed by the military as a way to take action against its critics, the report said. Athan has also called on the military to drop its lawsuits and stop suing those that criticize it.

On 20 January 2020, a lawyer and a community-based defender received arrest warrants for failing to appear before the court by the local Court of Tanintharyi Region, Myanmar.

The military has opened a case against three prominent political activists – former Myanmar army Captain Nay Myo Zin, poet Saw Wai and lawyer U Kyi Myint – for their remarks on charter amendments made in April in Kawthaung Township, Tanintharyi Region.

The Kawthaung Township Court accepted the case on Oct. 31, according to the military’s Coastal Command.

One of the accused, Nay Myo Zin, is currently serving a one-year prison term under the same charge, filed by the Tatmadaw in Yangon, for calling the Constitution undemocratic.

The three addressed a public gathering at a hall in Kawthaung in support of the Parliament’s charter amendment committee on April 3.

Colonel Thant Sin Oo from the Coastal Command told The Irrawaddy that their remarks defamed the Tatmadaw (military) and the military leadership.

“Their comments were aimed at causing misunderstanding. Therefore, we petitioned directly to the Kawthaung court and the court charged them under Article 505 [of the Penal Code] on Oct. 17,” said Col. Thant Sin Oo.

Section 505(a) of the Penal Code carries a penalty of up to two years’ imprisonment for anyone convicted of making, publishing or circulating statements, rumors or reports intended to cause military officers to mutiny, or to fail in or disregard their duties. It is a non-bailable offense.

U Kyi Myint told The Irrawaddy that he was sued for mentioning amendments to the Constitution at the gathering in Kawthaung six months ago, but insisted he did not say anything to damage the Tatmadaw.

The lawyer said: “Former Captain Nay Myo Zin talked for about 75 minutes. Ko Saw Wai talked for about an hour. I only talked for 20 minutes, as I was the eldest there and I could not cope with the heat. I talked about the Constitution, nothing else.”

He added: “We had to stand and raise [issues] for our country’s sake. There was no support from another country. We cannot stay silent. If everyone is silent, our country will further deteriorate. We must speak out about what needs to be done.”

But he said he was denied the opportunity to address the Kawthaung court.

“The military applied to the court on Oct. 17 and the case was accepted yesterday [Thursday], but we did not receive a letter. We don’t know yet if the letter arrived, whether we would be arrested without bail and sent to prison. According to the procedures, we will have to travel there and face [the charges].”

The number of military attempts to sue activists, especially those supporting charter amendments, has risen since April, said Maung Saung Kha, the director of Athan, a group advocating freedom of expression. Of 30 cases, 24 were lawsuits filed directly by the Tatmadaw against 77 people. The six remaining cases were filed by other people on behalf of the Tatmadaw, he said.

Those targeted have included monks, journalists, politicians, political activists, farmers and comedians.

Military spokesman Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun said earlier that the Tatmadaw’s tolerance of criticism was not unlimited.

On 31 October 2019, three burmese activist were sued before the local court by the military for their participation in a rally in April in Kawthaung Township , Myanmar.

Kyauktada Township police have opened unlawful assembly cases against another three activists for organizing a protest at a courthouse in Yangon in support of three Karen activists who were later convicted of similar charges.

The police captain of Kyauktada Township has opened cases against Daw Sein Htwe and Ma Zarchi Linn of the Democracy, Peace and Women (DPW) group, and Naw Larshee Htoo of the Karen Women’s Union (KWU) for leading a rally in solidarity with three Karen activists who were found guilty Wednesday for holding an earlier unlawful gathering on Karen Martyrs’ Day in Yangon.

The Kyauktada police said in a summons letter that about 130 people led by Daw Sein Htwe, Ma Zarchi Linn and Naw Larshee Htoo chanted slogans at the township court as police brought three Karen activists—Daw Naw Ohn Hla, Saw Elbert Cho and Sa Thein Zaw Min —to a court hearing on their own charges of unlawful assembly. The summons letter says that Daw Sein Htwe, Ma Zarchi Linn and Naw Larshee Htoo did not ask permission to organize their demonstration.

Larshee Htoo is Karen, while Daw Sein Htwe and Ma Zarchi Linn are ethnic Burmese. The three activists who are now being sued were asked to appear at Kyauktada Police Station on Friday.

On Thursday, DPW and KWU issued a joint statement condemning the allegations, saying that they will continue to protest against the lawsuits, which they say constitute dictatorial oppression.

”People who supported those whose rights were being violated have now been [sued]. This shouldn’t be the case,” Ko Min Nay Htoo, general secretary of the DPW, told The Irrawaddy on Friday.

He added that he suspects the cases are the result of a grudge held by the authorities, because all of the accused are members of organizations founded by Naw Ohn Hla.

Ko Min Nay Htoo also said that if police arrest these three activists, all the supporters who came to the court on Sept. 27 will go to the police station to be arrested.

Naw Ohn Hla, Saw Elbert Cho and Sa Thein Zaw Min were sentenced by the Kyauktada Township Court on Wednesday to 15 days in prison. They were then released without being sent to jail again as they had already been detained for more than two weeks while they were prosecuted.

Police had filed a lawsuit against the three after they refused to comply with orders to delete the word ”martyr” from all aspects of this year’s Karen Martyrs’ Day commemoration.

Authorities banned the use of the term ”martyr” in reference to Karen revolutionary leader Saw Ba U Gyi, who was murdered on Aug. 12, 1950. His death is commemorated annually as Karen Martyrs’ Day.

This year on Aug. 12, more than 100 people, led by Naw Ohn Hla, So Elbert Cho and Sa Thein Zaw Min, participated in an event to mark the 69th anniversary of Karen Martyrs’ Day in front of City Hall in Kyauktada Township, Yangon.

On 3 October 2019, three ethnic minority activists and WHRDs were sued by the police for leading a rally in solidarity with three fellow activists convicted in Yangon, Myanmar.

Chairwoman of the Karen Women’s Union Naw Ohn Hla has been detained under unlawful assembly charges for organizing a Karen Martyrs’ Day commemoration in Yangon last month without permission.

The long-term land rights and political activist, who herself is ethnic Karen, was arrested on Monday night and brought to the police station in Kyauktada Township, Ko Min Nay Htoo of the Democracy, Peace and Women’s Organization (DPW) said. Naw Ohn Hla also chairs the DPW.

Local authorities banned the use of the term “martyr” in reference to Karen revolutionary leader Saw Ba U Gyi, who was killed on Aug. 12, 1950. His death is commemorated annually as Karen Martyrs’ Day.

The 69th memorial was held—under the banner of Karen Martyrs’ Day—in front of city hall in Kyauktada Township this year. More than 100 people attended the event.

Police from Kyauktada Township opened cases against Naw Ohn Hla and two others under Article 20 of the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law for organizing the unauthorized event.

Ko Min Nay Htoo said the two activists will also face lawsuits when they return, as they are currently out of town.

At a court appearance on Tuesday, Naw Ohn Hla declined to request bail.

“We didn’t do anything wrong. I am not seeking bail as this is unfair. We acted in accordance with the law [by informing authorities about the event in advance],” she told reporters outside the court.

Naw Ohn Hla was sent directly to Insein Prison after the court appearance.

The offenses carry one-month prison sentences, fines or both.

On 9 September 2019, Naw Ohn Hla , the long-term land rights and pro-remocracy activist arrested by the police in Yangon, Myanmar, for organizing a commemoration without permission.

A Kachin rights activist found guilty of violating the Peaceful Assembly Law received an additional sentence of three months in prison on Friday for giving a set of broken scales to a judge in Myitkyina Township Court.

Ko Paul was sentenced to 15 days imprisonment on Sept. 2 for violating Article 19 of the Peaceful Assembly Law. When the sentence was handed down, he gave Judge U Than Tun a set of broken scales to show his dissatisfaction with the sentence.

The judge responded by filing a lawsuit against Ko Paul for disturbing the duties of a civil servant and for insulting and disrespecting the court.

“I gave him broken scales to represent the collapse of the judiciary in this country. The scales of justice in this country are broken. For that, I’ve been sentenced to three months imprisonment. This shows Kachin State, the country and the world that there is no justice,” Ko Paul said after leaving the court and before he was escorted to Myitkyina Prison.

Ko Paul and fellow Kachin activist Ma Seng Nu Pan were sentenced to 15 days imprisonment by the same court on Sept. 2 for organizing a street performance on June 9 to mark the eighth anniversary of the renewal of armed conflict in Kachin State.

Ko Paul’s lawyer U Mar Kha said his client did not interrupt or insult the judge.

“Insulting the judge means swearing. Paul did not do any brutal acts against the court, such as hitting something, kicking or beating the judge. The sentence is unjust. Ko Paul simply criticized the weakness and collapse of the judiciary, he did not insult it,” said U Mar Kha. “If we can’t have the chance to criticize or tell the truth, there will be no rights and we can’t achieve democracy.”

Demands for freedom of assembly and fair trails and complaints about the government’s prosecution and imprisonment of anti-war demonstrators have been mounting in Kachin State. Hundreds of protesters gathered in the state capital on Thursday and called for fair trails for Ko Paul and Ma Seng Nu Pan. They continued the protest on Friday and have plans for one more day of protest.

On 6 September 2019, Ko Paul, the Kachin rights activist was sentenced to three months in prison by the Tonwship Court of Myitkyina, Myanmar, for giving a set of broken scales to a judge.

Members of the Students and Youth Congress of Burma (SYCB), an umbrella group of youth organizations from across the country, joined a protest in the Kachin State capital Myitkyina on Monday to demand judicial justice and freedom of expression.

The protest—the latest to be triggered by last week’s sentencing of two young activists found guilty of violating Burma’s Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law for staging an anti-war street performance in June—was organized by local Kachin youth groups.

Paul Lu and Seng Nu Pan, the organizers of the street performance, were both sentenced to 15 days in prison on September 2. Paul Lu later received an extra three months for handing a broken set of scales to the presiding judge in protest at the decision.

Say Pu, the secretary-2 of the SYCB, explained that his group decided to join the Myitkyina protests because it believed the sentence against the two Kachin activists violated their human rights.

“I think this sentence is unfair. [Paul Lu] even received an additional prison term. From a human rights perspective, this is unacceptable. That’s why we joined the protest to show our support,” Say Pu told NMG.

Regarding the reaction of the authorities to SYCB’s presence, Say Pu said that some members of the group had been questioned.

“They asked about our organization, our address, and so on,” he said.

The protesters, who have gathered three times in the past week, said they had four key demands—freedom of speech and expression, a fair and just legal system, understanding of the difficulties of people displaced by conflict, and an end to the civil war as soon as possible.

Twelve ethnic members of SYCB joined the protest in Myitkyina from Yangon.

“We are demanding freedom of expression because we have been denied this basic right. Youths in Yangon and Mandalay have been charged for their struggle for freedom of expression. So how can we speak about how we are suffering? How can we speak about human rights abuses?” Sut Seng Htoi, the spokesperson of the Kachin Youth Movement, said to NMG.

According to Sut Seng Htoi, the participation of SYCB members in the protest is a source of strength for Kachin youths.

“The participation of SYCB is great because these youths have had the experience of being charged by the authorities. We can work together to build a genuine federal democratic country. We can cooperate in non-violent demonstrations, which are a part of democratic culture,” Sut Seng Htoi added.

Meanwhile, the authorities have continued to press charges against activists. At a protest held last Thursday, Kachin activists N’khun La Nu and Malan Hkar Mai were charged by police for holding unauthorized placards.

Nearly 300 people, including Kachin civilians displaced by conflict, members of various Kachin youth groups and civil society organizations, local people, and SYCB members, joined the protest in Myitkyina on Monday.

On 2 September 2019, Ko Paul and Ma Seng Nu Pan, two young Kachin defenders were sentenced to 15 days imprisonment by the Township Court of Myitkyina, Myanmar, for organizing a street performance in June.

Rangoon police said they filed a criminal lawsuit against the organizer of a demonstration that called for an inquiry into the killing of a journalist. Organizers of a similar protest in Mandalay could also face criminal charges. Police told The Irrawaddy that youth activist Moe Thway of Generation Wave is being charged under Article 18 of the Peaceful Assembly, which bans holding an unauthorized protest and can result in a prison terms of up to six months. "We filed a lawsuit against Moe Thway and party under Article 18, but we are still analyzing which of the protesters will be charged," an officer at Kyauktada Township Police Station said on Monday, before declining further comment. On Sunday, some 200 representatives of activists groups and civil society organizations, including the prominent 88 Generation Peace and Open Society, gathered in front of Rangoon's City Hall to demand justice in the case of the recent killing of reporter Aung Kyaw Naing. Last Friday, the Interim Myanmar Press Council said it had been notified by the Burma Army that the freelance journalist, also known as Par Gyi, had been arrested by the military in Mon State on Sept. 30, interrogated and later killed. Moe Thway said he sent a letter to Kyauktada Township Police Station on Friday asking for permission to hold the protest, but received no reply. He said he went ahead with the event as planned regardless. Moe Thway said he called Kyauktada police on Monday and learned that he had been charged. He added that he had not yet received official notification of the lawsuit. In Mandalay on Monday night, about 200 activists and demonstrators also assembled to call for justice in the case of the slain journalist. Organizers said authorities had turned down their request to hold a protest, but they had gone ahead anyway. "We informed the police about the protest on Sunday. The police gave back the letter and replied that they don't allow it at such short notice," said Thein Aung Myint, a Mandalay-based activist with the Movement for Democracy Current Forces. Thein Aung Myint said he feared that those who sent the letter and some of protestors could face criminal charges, adding that during the event police had shown up to question the demonstrators and discourage them from protesting. Moe Thway said he had noticed how Kyauktada police a week before had needed only one day to grant permission for a protest calling for fair treatment of two Burmese migrants in Thailand, who are being accused of killing two British tourists. He said he believed this indicated that police were using the Peaceful Assembly Law to thwart politically sensitive demonstrations. "They permit the protest depending on the cause of the protest. It is not good, it seems like they can do with the law whatever they want," he said.

On the 25th October 2014, police filed a criminal lawsuit against youth activist Moe Thway after he organized a demonstration that called for an inquiry into the recent killing of a journalist by the military. Moe Thway said he sent a letter to Kyauktada Township Police Station on Friday asking for permission to hold the protest, but received no reply. He said he went ahead with the event as planned regardless.

Crowds gathered in downtown Rangoon on Sunday the 26th October to demand a full investigation into the death of freelance reporter Aung Kyaw Naing, commonly known as Par Gyi, who was reportedly killed in custody of the Burma Army. On Friday, news emerged that the Interim Myanmar Press Council had been notified by the military that Par Gyi had been abducted in Mon State on Sept. 30, interrogated and later killed, with the army claiming that he was affiliated with a Karen rebel group. The military's statement said that on Oct. 4, Par Gyi "tried to seize a gun from a guard and run away; then he was shot dead by the guard." His body was buried and his family was not notified. Concerned citizens reacted quickly, gathering in front of Rangoon's City Hall, some carrying placards reading, "Restore justice and security for citizens" and "Stop brutality." "Ko Par Gyi is a journalist, a politician and a citizen," said Ko Ko Gyi, a prominent activist and leader of the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society movement. "His death shows that we do not have protection of the law." Ko Ko Gyi added that the statement produced by the Burma Army was sent to the Press Council nearly one month after Par Gyi's disappearance, suggesting that the government may have been concealing abuses and must provide answers to the public. "This case shows that the army is clearly abusing human rights," he said. "If they do not take action and reform, there will be a confrontation between the citizens and the army." Some protesters said that what happened to Par Gyi is not uncommon in conflict-affected ethnic areas, but that the case should be considered an alarm for citizens and an opportunity to demand justice. UPDATE 6th November: The body of a Myanmar journalist killed in military detention showed signs of trauma consistent with torture, according to a lawyer representing the reporter's widow, after it was exhumed by a forensics team Wednesday 5th November as part of an investigation into his mysterious death. Around 100 people gathered at the shallow grave site in Kyaikmayaw township in southeastern Myanmar's Mon state to witness the exhumation of freelance reporter Aung Kyaw Naing-also known as Par Gyi-including his widow Ma Thanda, political activists, lawyers and authorities. Members of the Myanmar military directed the group to the site. After the body was removed from the grave it was taken to the General Hospital in the Mon state capital Moulemein for further examination to confirm the identity and to determine the cause of death. Lawyer Robert San Aung, who is representing Ma Thanda and who was present at the exhumation, told RFA's Myanmar Service that Aung Kyaw Naing had likely died "as a result of torture" based on the appearance of his corpse. "Upon observing the body, the injuries indicate that his death was caused by excessive torture," he said. "This[conclusion] is based on my whole life of experience and on the science of criminal cases. It is also because there did not seem to be any gunshot wounds on his body." Robert San Aung rejected claims by the military that Aung Kyaw Naing had been given a proper burial after his death. "The burial site was about 800 meters (half a mile) from the village of Shwe Wa Chaung-one has to walk quite a ways to get there. It is on farmland and there are bushes around it," he said. "It is not in the village cemetery at all. That is why we reject the statement that a proper burial was given. There was no coffin or even a bamboo mat in the grave." The lawyer said that Aung Kyaw Naing's body was buried under "no more than one foot (30 centimeters) of earth" and had been interred with his clothing on. He said the body would undergo an autopsy and then be returned to Aung Kyaw Naing's home in Myanmar's commercial capital Yangon for burial with the assistance of the city's Free Funeral Services Society. A report by the Democratic Voice of Burma quoted eyewitness Nay Myo Zin from local civil society group Myanmar Social Life Development Network as saying that the corpse showed signs of a broken jaw, a caved-in skull and swelling on the torso indicating broken ribs. "It is completely clear that Ko Par Gyi was tortured," he told DVB. Aung Kyaw Naing's widow, Ma Thanda, confirmed that the body was that of her husband, the report said. Wednesday's exhumation is believed to be the first time that Myanmar's Army has ever fulfilled a request to produce the body of a civilian casualty. Aung Kyaw Naing was killed in military detention last month after documenting clashes between government forces and rebels in Mon state, according to reports. The Ministry of Defense had said that he was shot dead on Oct. 4 while trying to escape military custody in Mon state's Kyaikmaraw township, accusing him of being an information officer for a branch of the rebel Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA). The DKBA however disavowed any links with Aung Kyaw Naing, who had served as a bodyguard for opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in the 1980s. On Oct. 31, President Thein Sein ordered Myanmar's National Human Rights Commission to fully investigate the case after immense public outrage and calls from foreign entities. The order followed a complaint filed by Ma Thanda at the Kyaikmaraw township police station, demanding that authorities conduct an investigation into the death of her husband, and calling on the authorities to exhume the body in her presence as part of the probe. Local and International nongovernmental organizations, including Thailand-based Association for the Assistance of Political Prisoners (AAPP) and New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), had dismissed the Defense Ministry's statement and joined in the call for a probe into the killing. Civil society groups had also held mass protests in Yangon and in the northern city of Mandalay over the killing, demanding an immediate and independent probe. UPDATE: 12/ 05/ 2015 A military court's decision to acquit and unconditionally free two Myanmar soldiers accused of killing a freelance journalist prompted his widow and lawyer on Monday to vow to appeal the case to higher authorities, following a hearing on the case in a southeastern province. Reporter Aung Kyaw Naing-also known as Par Gyi-died in military custody last October after he was arrested while covering fighting between the government army and Karen ethnic rebels in southeastern Myanmar's Mon state. The country's Ministry of Defense said he was shot to death by government soldiers who claimed the journalist was trying to flee custody because he was an information officer with the rank of captain in the Karen armed ethnic rebel group. Doctors who performed an autopsy on his exhumed corpse last November found that five gunshot wounds, including one on Par Gyi's chin, two on his chest, and one each on his thigh and heel, caused his death, and that his corpse showed signs of torture.The Myanmar National Human Rights Commission[MHRC] conducted an investigation and recommended the case be heard in a civilian court. But the military overruled and said it would be held in a military court because Aung Kyaw Naing died during conflict. "We will let the president, commander-in-chief and people from the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission know about it," said Robert San Aung, the prosecuting lawyer representing Aung Kyaw Naing's widow Thandar, referring to the disputability of the military court's decision under the country's constitution. He made the comment to RFA's Myanmar Service during the latest hearing related to the case at Kyaikmayaw township court in Mon state. Thandar said she would send a letter to Senior General Min Aung Hlaing because the military court released the two soldiers, Lance-corporal Kyaw Kyaw Aung and Private Naing Lin Htun, accused of murdering her husband. "Although I filed a case on behalf of Par Gyi's death, I am a witness, and deputy chief of police Tin Oo of Kyaikmayaw township is a plaintiff today," she told RFA's Myanmar Service. " I have to testify about everything I have done. I have seen and heard about his case." Differences in testimony results The hearing came about after the MHRC report issued on May 8 noting differences in the results of testimony by division military headquarters and what the prosecuting attorney had.For example, when the trial of the two accused soldiers was set at a military court, the chairman of military court, Colonel Win Zaw Oo, said Par Gyi was shot by a lance corporal, said Robert San Aung. "We complained that the wound should be in the back or side if he was shot by a lance corporal, but why did he have a wound under his chin?" he said. " The military official couldn't answer our question."The trail was set after a week so that the military officials would have time to provide answers, he added."Actually, the chairman of the military court, Colonel Win Zaw Oo, should take action against these military officials according to their testimonies that day," he said. The two military officials said Aung Kyaw Naing snatched a gun from one soldier, which discharged and shot him, Robert San Aung said."Even if it is true, Par Gyi should be have been dead at that point from the bullet that went into his chin and exited his head, but he was shot with many other bullets again," he said. "It is not reasonable."The testimonies were approved by division military headquarters, but not yet by the commander-in-chief. We are going to request a new trial or that the case be handed over to a civilian court." Thandar blasted the MHRC report, saying it was neither comprehensive nor impartial, and called for a new and independent investigation into her husband's death, Democratic Voice of Burma reported.MHRC chairman Sit Myint told RFA that his organization recommended that Aung Kyaw Naing's murder be held in a civilian court according to the constitution and to ensure transparency. The commission then submitted the latest information it had on the case to the Ministry of Defense. "We examined and searched the details everything related to this case and put what we saw in our report, he said. "The military court did that case within the power and rights it has. We[the commission] can't do anything more than what we have done. I don't know what the lawmakers will do for the next step."He pointed out that the commission could not request a new trial on the case that was already made under orders from military or civilian courts."It is almost impossible that we can do something about that case," he said. UPDATE: 27/ 05/ 2015 Fifth civilian court hearing in Par Gyi case The fifth court hearing into the killing of freelance reporter Par Gyi took place at Mon State's Kyeikmayaw township court on Monday. "The court in the hearing today heard accounts from four civilian witnesses, two of whom were eye witnesses. They all testified," Ma Thandar, Par Gyi's widow, told DVB on Monday. A date was also set for the next hearing, which will take place on 1 June. Par Gyi, also known as Aung Kyaw Naing, was killed in military custody in September after being arrested by government forces while embedded with the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army. The Burmese army said he was shot while trying to escape, but the injuries discovered when his body was finally exhumed after a long campaign by his widow Ma Thandar were not concurrent with that version of events. subsequent investigation by Myanmar Human Rights Commission proposed that the case should be heard in a civilian court. However, the military overruled that recommendation, insisting it would instead be heard in a military court as the death occurred during conflict, resulting in two parallel cases. Ma Thandar said that she sent a letter of complaint to government bodies following the acquittal of two servicemen of charges relating to Par Gyi's killing by a military on earlier this month. Lance-Cpl Kyaw Kyaw Aung and Pvt. Naing Lin Htun on 8 May were released unconditionally by a martial court after being detained under Article 71 of the Military Code (court martial procedures) and Section 304 of the Penal Code (culpable homicide). Ma Thandar said she wrote to 21 different government departments, including the President's Office, the office of the commander-in-chief, and the parliamentary Rule of Law and Tranquillity Committee, led by National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. "I sent out a letter complaining about the army's claim that the two servicemen had been acquitted in accordance with the 2008 Constitution. I want to point out that in that case, the 2008 Constitution can only protect soldiers but not civilians. My husband was arrested in a crowded downtown area, and no legal procedures were followed throughout his interrogation. "He was not charged in accordance with the law, but the soldiers who caused his death were apparently released in accordance with the 2008 Constitution," said Ma Thandar. Previous hearings were held at the Kyeikmayaw court on 10, 23 and 30 April, and 11 May.

On October 4th 2014, freelance reporter Aung Kyaw Naing (commonly known as Par Gyi) was reportedly killed while in the custody of the Burma Army. He had been abducted by the Army on the 30th September 2014 after being accused of affiliations with a Karen rebel group. His family was not notified of his death. UPDATE 6th November: On the 5th November 2014, an exhumation of Par Gyi's body was carried out by a forensics team as part of an investigation into his mysterious death. According to a lawyer representing the dead journalist's wife, his body showed signs of trauma consistent with torture, and said that he likely died from this treatment.

Five staff members of the now defunct 'Bi-Mon Te Nay' weekly news journal have been found guilty of sedition charges and sentenced to two years each in prison by Rangoon's Pabedan Township Court. Kyaw Win, a defence lawyer for the five - two editors, one reporter and two publishers - said the court on Thursday the 16th October found them guilty for "defamation of the state". "They were given the maximum sentence under Article 505(b) - two years each in prison," he said. The charges were levied after 'Bi-Mon Te Nay' (literally 'Bi-Midday Sun' news journal) published a report in July repeating an activist group's claims that Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi had teamed up with several ethnic politicians to form an interim government. Kyaw Win said the defence team had previously appealed for the five defendants to be charged under the Media Law, but the motion was denied. He said they are now preparing to appeal to a higher court. Zaw Thet Htwe, a news editor and spokesperson for Burma's Interim Press Council, said he was frustrated to hear the verdict. "The sentencing of 'Bi-Mon Te Nay' staffers indicates a lack of communication and coordination between the country's three estates, and it gives me the impression that the judicial sector is not very fond of the media," he said.

On the 16th October 2014, five journalists were sentenced to two years each in prison for sedition. The charges came after they published a report in July repeating an activist group's claims that Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi had teamed up with several ethnic politicians to form an interim government.

Two well-known activists have been sentenced to three months in prison for violating Burma's controversial Right to Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Act, after staging a rally without prior permission from local authorities. Win Cho and Wai Lu, who have both faced multiple charges and prison terms under the controversial statute, were convicted of organising an unlawful demonstration on 26 March 2014 against a sudden electricity price hike in Rangoon. The ruling was handed down by Rangoon's Kyauktada Township court on Monday, according to their lawyer, Robert San Aung. Win Cho, a prolific community organiser and member of the Myanmar Social Development Network, has been charged dozens of times for his role in protests over land rights, economic hardship and other causes common across Burma. Shortly after the energy price demonstration in March, Win Cho was jailed for his involvement in an unrelated protest two months earlier, when he was joined by hundreds of farmers demanding constitutional reform and the establishment of a farmers' union. He and fellow activist Nay Myo Zin were swiftly jailed, serving a total of 84 days in Insein Prison. The two were released on 25 June after serving out their full three-month sentences. Wai Lu, the other activist sentenced on Monday, was hit with an additional one-month sentence for his role in another demonstration over the eviction of central Burma's Moehti Moemi gold miners. The small-scale mine operators lost their jobs and homes when the government granted a mining concession to a major conglomerate in June 2012. After the work freeze, more than 100 displaced miners sought refuge in a nearby monastery where they faced a series of eviction threats and were subject to a early-morning raid in March at which about 50 people were arrested. Monday's sentencing was the latest in a long string of jail terms for peaceful protestors since the reform process began. The country's assembly laws have been oft-criticised for granting sweeping powers to authorities to arbitrarily detain activists. Among the most contentious edicts is part of Section 18 (often mislabelled as "Article 18?) of the Right to Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Act, as it requires the permission of local authorities for all public gatherings. Claims abound that permission is discriminately denied under the broad terms outlined in the law. Amendments made to Section 18 earlier this year have been called a "disappointment" by rights monitors, who argue that while the changes reduce sentences, the legislation still endangers the principle of freedom to assemble, which is enshrined in Article 534(b) of Burma's Constitution.

On 25 August 2014 prominent activists Win Cho and Wai Lu were sentenced to 3 months in prison for assembling without the authorities' permission under Section 18 of the infamous Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Act. Win Cho, a community organiser and member of the Myanmar Social Development Network who has worked on land rights and economic injustice, and Wai Lu, who has been involved in environmental and labour rights issues, have both served numerous sentences in the past for violating Section 18. In this instance, they were sentenced for having staged a protest on 26 March 2014 against an abrupt electricity fee hike in Rangoon. Wai Lu was sentenced to an additional month in prison for his involvement in a protest against the eviction of small-scale miners from the Moehti Moemi gold mine.

Land rights activist Sein Than was sentenced to four months in prison on Wednesday, lengthening his term to eight months following another ruling issued on Tuesday. Sein Than was convicted of violating Burma's Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Act in two separate townships for spearheading an unpermitted protest against an alleged land grab in Michaungkan, Rangoon Division. The activist's daughter, Nay Nwe, told DVB on Thursday that Rangoon's Bahan Township issued the second ruling for the same offence he had already been convicted of. Sein Than led a group of protestors to the home of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to deliver documents and plead their case. "My father was charged under Article 18[the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Act] for leading a rally in front of Daw Suu's house, where we went to hand her documents about our case and ask for her assistance," said Nay Nwe. He has faced the same charge in several other townships, including Pabedan and Latha, all pertaining to his activism surrounding the Michaungkan land-grab case. In March, Sein Than helped organise an encampment in front of Rangoon's Maha Bandoola Park, where hundreds of protestors participated in a sit-in that continued until they were forcibly removed by authorities. Periodic re-occupations have since resumed as the 24-year struggle to retrieve the disputed land continues. The protestors say they were evicted from their homes in the suburban Rangoon township in a land grab by the Burmese military in 1990. When Sein Than appeared in a Latha court on Tuesday, around 80 protestors showed up in matching t-shirts to support him. Lawyers and activists have criticised the government for allowing the trial to proceed in multiple townships for what is essentially the same charge. Robert San Aung, a well-known attorney in Burma who often defends activists, argued that the multiple trials contravene the country's penal code. "According to the Code of Criminal Procedure, Article 234, a person must undergo only one trial for three different counts of the same kind of offence if they are committed within one year," he said. "This is against the law." Aung Thein of the Myanmar Lawyers Network said that a defendant has the right to appeal to a higher court and upon doing so, can request to have the sentences combined. "The defendant faced charges by police in several townships, but he has the right to appeal to the district court to concurrently serve sentences for the same offence," said Aung Thein. Sein Than is still awaiting verdicts for similar charges in two other townships.

On 20 and 21 August 2014, land rights activist Sein Than was sentenced to four months in prison in two seperate trials for an unauthorised protest he organised in Yangon against a land grab in Michaungkan. He was found guilty of violating Article 18 of the infamous Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Processions Act, which criminalizes gatherings not approved by police. Lawyers in Yangon have pointed out that sentencing an individual for the same offence in two seperate trials is a contravention of Article 234 of Burma's Criminal Code.

Over 50 journalists and their supporters have been charged for protesting illegally after they attempted to take their calls for media freedom directly to Burmese President Thein Sein. The demonstration was held on Saturday, one day after five media workers from the now shuttered Unity Weekly journal were sentenced to ten years in prison with hard labour. They were found guilty of exposing state secrets after a January report alleged the existence of a "secret chemical weapons factory" in Magwe Division. Thein Sein was due to meet reporters after discussing Burma's developing arts scene with local celebrities at the Myanmar Peace Centre (MPC) in Rangoon. Journalists covering the press conference arrived at the MPC wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan, "Stop Killing Press." They were stopped from entering by police. Instead, they lined up in front of the building, laid down their cameras and taped their mouths shut in silent protest. Aung Thura, chief reporter at popular news journal 7-Day Daily, said the protest was to express their disappointment with the recent verdict concerning Unity Weekly. "We want to express our disappointment with the ten-year sentence handed to the Unity Weekly staff and with the current oppression of media freedom," he said. "In protest, we are not covering the Myanmar Peace Centre event." More than 50 participants have now been indicted for protesting without permission - a charge that Burma's authorities regularly employ to stifle rallies. Maung Maung Oo, deputy superintendent of Kamaryut Township police, confirmed the charge. "We are taking action under Article-18," the officer told DVB on Saturday. "There are about 50 reporters facing charges." Saturday's crackdown marks the largest group of people charged under the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Act, a law enacted by Thein Sein's government. It is not the first time journalists have been slapped with the charge, as they fight for the right to report in the face of a perceived curtailing of Burma's media freedoms. Zaw Htet Htwe of the Interim Press Council, told DVB last week that the Unity verdict could be taken as an indication that all media are at risk of prosecution in Burma "at any time". "The government will not tolerate us touching upon issues about the nation, about government policy or politics," he said.

From 12 to 14 July 2014 over 50 participants in a media freedom protest were charged with protesting illegally under Article 18 of the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Processions Act. The protest occurred on 12 July in response to the sentencing of five Unity Weekly journalists to ten years of hard labour in prison for "exposing state secrets" in a January report on a planned chemical weapons factory in Magwe. The charges highlight the recent regression on both media freedom and freedom of assembly in Burma. UPDATE 23/08/2014: Charges against all 50 journalists have been dropped, following a meeting between President Thein Sein and the Information Ministry and Interim Press Council. The journalists concerned have stated that their case demonstrates a high degree of political meddling in the judiciary.

Four activists who organised a protest against sexual violence in the town of Matupi in Chin State have been charged for staging a rally without permission - Chapter Three of Burma's controversial Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Act. Women's rights activists Thang Zin and Khin Lwe Parh, and Chin Youth Organisation members Mong Han and Tate Manh, were summoned to the Matupi police station around noon on Wednesday after they had led some 200 local demonstrators through the streets the two previous days. "The women were interrogated by police who informed them of the charges and instructed them to wait for the court summons," said Mai Alli of the Chin Women's Association. "The local police chief apparently told them not to be worried - as they might be let off with just a fine." The two Chin Youth activists, Khin Lwe Parh and Thang Zin, were released on bail at around 5pm on Wednesday. Khin Lwe Parh later told DVB that she led the protest to raise awareness and call for an end to rampant abuses in the region, including domestic violence, and said she would face any charge for doing what she believes in - promoting female empowerment. "I will go to prison and take whatever punishment they give me for doing what I can for women's rights," she said. Thang Zin said she will continue to educate women so they know their rights, and to protect and defend them in cases of sexual and domestic violence. "There is a tradition in Burma that women are not allowed to talk back to their husbands, and due to a lack of rule of law, they are reluctant to make an issue of the domestic violence they suffer, which encourages the perpetrators even more," she said. "We staged the protest to raise awareness, and encourage women not to be afraid to speak out." Another group of female activists who held a similar protest in nearby Rezua sub-township concurrently with the rally in Matupi have also been summoned by police. The organisers of the two protests requested permission from local authorities and police prior to the events in accordance with the law, but their applications were rejected.

On 25 June 2014, Women's rights activists Thang Zin and Khin Lwe Parh and Chin Youth Organisation members Mong Han and Tate Manh were summoned to the Matupi police station to be interrogated and hear charges against them under the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Act. The four helped organise a rally in Matupi on 23 and 24 June, protesting violence against women by the Burmese army, but also domestically. They had requested permission to protest in accordance with the law, but were denied it. UPDATE 23/07/2014: All four Matupi activists (Thang Zing, Khin Thluai Par, Maung Han and Tei Maung) were convicted of unlawful assembly and ordered to pay a 30,000 kyat ($30 US) fine or spend a month in jail. Four other women's rights activists (Ngun Chin Par, Sui Sui Kyi, Kaw Htwe, Khin Khin Zi) from neighbouring Rezua were also sentenced. Women's Hand Myanmar Foundation has offered to pay all the activists' fines. The soldier whose alleged sexual crime sparked the protests is on trial in a military court.

Burma's Parliament has amended the Peaceful Assembly Act, a widely criticized law responsible for the imprisonment of many political activists, but lawyers say the amendments are largely cosmetic and will have little practical effect. Enacted in 2011, the Peaceful Assembly Act required people to receive permission from authorities before staging public demonstrations, with penalties of up to one year in prison for violators. Protesters could also be imprisoned for up to two years for causing unrest during their demonstration. State-run newspapers announced on Wednesday that Parliament had amended eight articles of the law, cutting in half the prison sentences for these offenses. But legal experts said other amendments were superficial-consisting of slight changes in wording to appease critics. For example, lawmakers removed language from the law that described how authorities can "deny" permission for a public protest. Instead, the amended version says authorities can decide not to "issue" permission if applications are not in accordance with the law. As with before, a protest will not be allowed if it might disturb pedestrians or if participants plan to "say things or behave in a way that could affect the country, union, race or religion, human dignity or moral principles." Chants must be approved prior to protests. The amended version also contains some changes that could make life more difficult for protesters. It says authorities no longer need to inform applicants in advance if they decide not to issue permission. Applicants also no longer have the right to submit an appeal. Aung Thein, a veteran Burmese lawyer, accused lawmakers of playing word games and said the government has retained the power to restrict free expression. "Since the law is in their hands, they can simply say the reasons for the protest are unlawful. It will be denied if they do not want to give permission," he told The Irrawaddy. Other lawyers and activists called on Parliament to abolish the law entirely. "There are some reduction in penalties, but we cannot call this positive change or say the situation is improving," said Robert San Aung, a prominent lawyer who has defended activists charged with violating the law, when asked about the amendments. "If the government really wants to practice democracy, a law like this, which limits freedom of expression, must be abolished." Since President Thein Sein's government enacted the Peaceful Assembly Act in December 2011, rights activists and protesters, especially those demonstrating against the confiscation of farmland, have been arrested and prosecuted under the act. Naw Ohn Hla, a famous rights activist, was sentenced to two years in prison under the act. "Every citizen must have the freedom of speech and the right to protest. Until now we have needed to request permission to protest. This is not genuine democracy," she said. "If the government truly wants change, they should abolish the law. But now they are just tricking the people by showing very small amendments."

On 25 June it was reported that Parliament had approved amendments to the notorious Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law. However the changes made are cosmetic, leaving in place the basic problematic tenants of the law which severely restrict freedom of expression. Maximum sentences for protesting without permission (up to 1 year) and "causing unrest" during a demonstration (up to 2 years) were halved, but police retain the power to deny protests. Furthermore, protest permission applicants must no longer be informed if their application is rejected and have lost the right to appeal a rejection.

A Myanmar reporter has been handed a one-year prison term for trying to interview an education official, his lawyer said Tuesday, in the latest prosecution to raise fears over press freedom in the former junta-run nation. Zaw Pe, a journalist for the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) news website, was convicted of trespassing and "disturbing a civil servant" by a court in the central town of Magway on Monday, lawyer Thein Tun told AFP. He was jailed along with Win Myint Hlaing, the father of a student who accompanied him during a visit to the education department in Magway region to follow up a story about a scholarship programme in August 2012. "They went into the educational office with a simple intention. The student's father went there because he wanted to know more information (about the programme) and Zaw Pe went in to report back to the people," said Thein Tun. He said both men were appealing their sentences. "DVB is confident that reporter Zaw Pe was fulfilling his responsibility as a news reporter," the news group said in a statement denouncing the court ruling, adding he was "working in the public interest". DVB was a prominent source of independent information during Myanmar's long years of junta rule, when it operated from Norway and Thailand, and several of its journalists were given lengthy prison sentences for covertly reporting within the country. The website was one of several foreign-based news organisations to be lambasted on a daily basis in Myanmar's state media for spreading "killer broadcasts" in the isolated nation. But reforms implemented by a new quasi-civilian government, including the release of political prisoners and increased press freedoms, have seen former exile publications operate legally from within the country. In 2012 Myanmar abolished draconian pre-publication censorship, which had stifled everything from song lyrics to books and newspapers. The country has since come under criticism for creating a number of new press laws that observers fear have created an opaque legal atmosphere for journalists to work in. Myanmar ranked 145th of 180 countries in the 2014 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index. In February, four journalists and the chief executive of the Unity Weekly News were arrested and charged under the official secrets act after they published allegations of a military facility producing chemical weapons. UPDATE 04/07/2014: Zaw Pe is freed from jail following the completion of his three-month sentence.

On April 7 2014 Zaw Pe, a reporter for Democratic Voice of Burma, was sentenced to one year in prison for trespassing and "disturbing a civil servant." The sentence was in relation to an attempt by Zaw Pe to interview a civil servant working in the field of education about a scholarship programme in August 2012. Also sentenced was Win Myint Hlaing, the father of an affected student, who accompanied Zaw Pe in the visit. The sentence comes in the context of growing fears about the extent of press freedoms in Burma following the arrest of four journalists and the chief executive of the Unity Weekly News in February. UPDATE 04/07/2014: Zaw Pe is freed from jail following the completion of his three-month sentence.

Four prominent right activists from the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society group were briefly detained in central Burma on Wednesday and charged with a controversial law that prohibits protesting without permission. The activists said they were taken to a police station in Pakokku Township, Magwe Division, after leading a demonstration-one of many currently taking place across Burma-in support of amending Burma's military-drafted 2008 Constitution before elections in 2015. Activist Than Naing said that he and three others who gave speeches at the rally-Pyone Cho, Mee Mee and Nilar Thein-were charged under Article 18 of the Peaceful Assembly Law. Than Naing told The Irrawaddy that his group asked authorities for permission to protest on March 17, but were rejected. The group also told the police again on Monday that they would be protesting. "They charged us with Article 18 for violating the law," he said. "They threatened us and told us we have to sign paper saying that we violated the law, but we refused to do it and told them to put us in jail. "We told them we informed them already that we would protest. Then, they released us." He said police told protesters that demonstrations were not allowed in the town because a proposed legal change to soften the rules around informing the authorities of a gathering was still being considered in Burma's Parliament. Mya Aye, an 88 Generation leader, said the police's explanation was unacceptable, and only went to show that they had no good reason to disallow the demonstration. "Protests were allowed in different townships. But we only had a problem in Pakokku," he said. "It is sad to see such charges against our members, and to see them[the authorities] using their power to threaten the people, just as Parliament is preparing to amend Article 18," said Mya Aye. "By charging our members, this could tarnish the image of the reforms in our country. It is sad to see it." Members of the main opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) and the 88 Generation group have announced a joint effort to try to amend the Constitution. The charter includes measures that ensure the military's place in national politics, and in Parliament, and a clause that means NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi cannot become president, among numerous other unpopular clauses. But the coalition of campaigners has decided to first target Article 436, in Chapter 12 of the Constitution. The article gives the Burmese military an effective veto over constitutional amendments as it requires more than 75 percent of lawmakers-in a house where a quarter of seats are automatically filled by soldiers-to approve amendments.

On 26 March 2014, Than Naing, Pyone Cho, Mee Mee and Nilar Thein, prominent 88 Generation activists, were detained for having spoken at a peaceful protest in Magwe Division pushing for amendments to the Constitution before the 2015 elections. The four were released after a few hours of detention but face charges under Article 18 of the Peaceful Assembly Law.

Activist Thaw Zin was handed a 15-month prison sentence at a court in Monywa on Monday for his role in helping local villagers protest against land seizures at the Latpadaung copper mine in Sagaing Division. According to Thaw Zin's father, Thein Dan, the former political prisoner was convicted to three months for criminal trespassing, and given concurrent sentences of six months for the crimes of "disturbing public tranquility" and "disobedience duly promulgated by a public servant". Speaking to DVB, Thein Dan said he initially believed the rule of law would prevail, but he was wrong. "I am sad, but what can I do?" he said. Local residents in the villages around Latpadaung, which is situated near Monywa in central Burma, rallied around, saying the verdict was unfair. "I am not satisfied with the verdict against Thaw Zin. The court was not impartial," said local supporter Than Myint. Thaw Zin was arrested by plain-clothed police on the morning of 11 February as he walked between Tonywa and Shwehle villages in Salingyi Township where the controversial copper mine is located. Htay Yi, an activist who was with Thaw Zin at the time of his arrest, said she was assaulted in the incident. Police rejected her allegation on the grounds that it did not qualify as an assault by law, "as it was not premeditated". Less than a week later, four Latpadaung villagers were charged by police for holding a demonstration to demand the release of Thaw Zin. The controversial copper mine project is a joint venture between Chinese company Wanbao and the Burmese military-backed Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings.

On 24 March 2014, Thaw Zin, a land rights campaigner, was sentenced to 15 months in prison by a court in Monywa. Thaw Zin was a prominent organizer of several protests against the Letpadaung copper mine in Sagaing and has previously been detained and charged for these activities. He was granted Presidential Amnesty on 31 December 2013, only to be re-arrested on 11 February 2014, once again in connection with his role in the protests.

Police authorities in Mandalay Division's Pyin Oo Lwin have pressed charges against labour activist Su Su Nway for organising a massive protest over land grabs without first seeking official permission. On Monday, more than 1,500 farmers from villages around Pyin Oo Lwin marched to local government offices, calling for the return of 300,000 acres of farmland allegedly confiscated from them by the government and private companies. Organised by the Farmers Union Organising Committee, the police initially informed Su Su Nway, a coordinator for the union, that she was violating Article 18 of the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law, which requires a rally organiser to seek permission from the authorities before holding a demonstration. Markey, one of the leaders of civil society group 88 Generation Peace and Open Society - an organisation borne out of the 1988 student-led uprising against the then ruling military junta - told DVB on Wednesday that the police informed Su Su Nway the day after the protest that she had been charged. "Signed by the superintendent of the Pyin Oo Lwin police, the letter informed Su Su Nway that she had been charged under Article 18 and summoned to the police station," Markey said. "Su Su Nway responded to the police that she will not be complying with these instructions and that they may feel free to come and officially detain her at any time," he said. As of Wednesday afternoon, she had not been arrested. Originally from Rangoon Division, 43-year-old Su Su Nway has campaigned for labour rights for many years. A member of the National League for Democracy and a former political prisoner, she became the first person to successfully sue local government officials in 2005 under Burma's 1999 Forced Labour Law. Sentenced to 12 and a half years for protesting and activism in 2007 and 2008, she suffered ill-health in prison, exacerbated by long periods in solitary confinement. She was released on a presidential amnesty in October 2011, but immediately returned to the fray as a relentless campaigner for farmers who have had their lands seized. In a separate incident in Mandalay's Madaya Township, a group of local farmers also faced charges for violating Article 18 of the Penal Code by organising a "plough protest", an increasingly popular method of demonstrating by farmers who claim to have lost lands in seizures, mostly by the army during the time of military rule. Rights groups have slammed the government's policy of using Article 18 to arrest, detain and intimidate protestors who have staged demonstrations across the country over systemic government abuses such as land grabs. Thein Than Oo, a coordinator for the Upper Burma Lawyers Network - which focuses on assisting individuals prosecuted under Article 18 - said the law contradicts Burma's Constitution. "We believe that Article 18 of the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law is contradictory to the Constitution's Article 354, which guarantees freedom of expression," Thein Than Oo said. "The single purpose it serves is to oppress activists." Burma's Union Parliament on Wednesday passed a bill proposing amendments to Article 18. Protestors will still require written permission, but local authorities and police will not be allowed to reject a request to stage a rally without providing "valid reasons". Penalties for violating this article have also been halved, according to the bill, which currently awaits an endorsement from the president before it can be adopted into law.

On 17 June 2014 long-time activist Su Su Nway was charged with organising a protest without governmental permission under Article 18 of the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Processions Law. She had helped organise a protest of 1500 farmers in Pwin Oo Lwin who are seeking to have 300,000 acres of farmland allegedly confiscated by private companies and the government returned to them. As of 18 May, Su Su Nway had not reported to police and had not yet been arrested. Under Burmese law, public assemblies must have the permission of local authorities, a provision which is used extensively by the government to severely restrict freedom of expression.

The government's recent warning that politically active students may be subject to expulsion could be linked to a campaign supporting constitutional reform, legal experts and activists said. A statement by Burma's Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), released on 9 June and distributed at some state-operated schools, warned that students who have been convicted on charges related to any political activities that result in "unrest" could be punished with expulsion. Critics have claimed that the vague language of the announcement could lead to abuse by educational administrators, and suggested that the move was meant to preempt involvement in a growing campaign to support amending Article 436 of Burma's military-drafted 2008 Constitution. "We have some questions regarding the definition of "politically-related offences'. We don't know exactly what that means," said Sithu Aung, a technological university student. "Now it's risky for us to participate in any activities." The concern is exacerbated by a handful of laws that some say have been used to punish activists, such as Section 505(b) of Burma's penal code, which broadly criminalises any activities that could cause "fear or alarm to the public or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or against the public tranquility." Any court ruling related to such charges would now come with additional academic penalties.

On 9 June 2014, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) released a statement in some government-run educational institutions to the effect that students who had been convicted of engagement in political activity causing unrest could face expulsion. The statement is revelatory of the informal means through which pressure is exerted on Burmese civil society to remain silent and unquestioning, despite some legal reform. It is particularly ominous if considered in light of the fact that Article 505 of the penal code allows for prosecution of creating unrest in extremely broad and malleable terms.

RANGOON - Burmese activists who publicly opposed a controversial interfaith marriage bill say they are receiving violent threats from anonymous callers. At least four activists have been targeted by threats after listing their contact information in early May on a public statement backed by nearly 100 civil society groups that objected to the bill. Since then, they have received anonymous phone calls and online messages threatening violence. One activist was forced to change her phone number after her original digits were posted on a Facebook page advertising prostitutes. Another activist, Aung Myo Min, says he has been urged to stop fighting the interfaith marriage bill, which places restrictions on marriages between Buddhist women and men of any other faith. "Some messages were like, "You will regret it. Stop working for this issue. If you continue, don't blame others for the consequences,'" the director of Equality Myanmar told The Irrawaddy. Khon Ja, a well-known women's rights activist from the Kachin Peace Network, said some anonymous callers have even used phone numbers from Thailand and Malaysia. "They called saying, "If you dare come to Mandalay, you will be dead when we see you," she said, adding that she wondered if the Association to Protect Race and Religion, a radical monk-led group promoting the bill, knew about the threats. Zin Mar Aung, founder of the Rainfall Gender Study Group,says she has received obscene messages on Viber, a phone application. She said one Viber group has been created with the name, "We will kill those who destroy the race." May Sabe Phyu, senior coordinator of the Gender Equality Network, says she is reluctant to connect to the Internet on her phone due to negative messages. "Once I connect, lots of Viber messages come up instantly, with some asking to call so we can talk," she says. Burmese civil society groups have grown increasingly concerned about the interfaith marriage bill, which is part of a package of four bills to protect race and religion. The other three bills would ban polygamy, enact population control measures and restrict religious conversion. The interfaith marriage bill calls for Buddhist women to receive permission from parents and authorities before marrying a man of another faith, who would be forced to convert to Buddhism. Opponents have criticized the bill as undemocratic and discriminatory. Some say it prevents women from making their own choices, while others believe it is intended specifically to prevent conversions to Islam. Aung Myo Min of Equality Myanmar said he is taking precautions with his safety following the threats. "If they are courageous, they need to tell us who they are and why they are doing this," he said of the callers. "It's like they are threatening us from the dark. "Our aim is not to destroy or disrespect race and religion. We also want to protect these. But there are some aims and concepts[in the bill] that we can't accept."

Burmese activists who endorsed a statement criticising proposed legislation that would restrict freedom of religion have been threatened via calls and text messages. Khon Ja, a women's rights activist, Aung Myo Min of Equality Myanmar, Zin Mar Aye of the Rainfall Study Group, and May Sabe Myo of the Gender Equality Network, have received threats ranging from obscenities to death threats. The proposed Interfaith Marriage Bill would require women wishing to convert to a faith other than Buddhism to get permission from their parents and government authorities. The bill is widely seen as an attack on Burma's embattled Muslim minority, as well as an obvious restriction of women's freedom of religion.

Civil society organisations (CSOs) on Wednesday reiterated their worries to the government about a draft law they believe will restrict their freedom of association, and which is currently awaiting passage through the lower house of parliament. Drafted by the Ministry of Home Affairs last July, the legislation was met with vociferous criticisms from Burma's CSO community as its provisions required all organisations to register with the government and to face harsh criminal penalties - including prison time of up to three years - if they were unregistered. The draft law was re-introduced a month later as the draft Association Registration Law, with the obligation to register and the prison term stricken from its text. This passed through the parliament's upper house promptly and is expected to be discussed in the lower house this term. But the new version still carried clauses that CSOs believe could restrict their freedom to operate - such as limits to their activities if they are registered to a township, but not to an administrative region. They urged the parliament's Bill Committee and the Public Affairs Management Committee in a meeting last week to remove these provisions before it passed the lower house. In a press conference on Wednesday, CSO representatives said that if their concerns were not addressed, they would bring the complaint to Burmese President Thein Sein. "The Bill Committee said they have to negotiate with the Home Affairs Ministry and have been trying the best they can with it," said Soe Tun of the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society, an organisation borne out of the 1998 student-led uprising against the government. "We decided to boost our efforts by reaching out to the President's Office since we have tried all we can with our approach to parliament." Kyaw Thu, a former actor and film director who is now the founder and president of charity group Free Funeral Service Society, appealed to the government to allow the CSOs' work to continue without complicated restrictions. "Imposing restrictions on CSOs focused on humanitarian work is like shackling the Lord Buddha, who taught us to be kind and humane," Kyaw Thu said, who vowed to continue his group's work even if the law is passed. "The government needs to have some compassion when drafting a law like this," he said.

The Burmese Ministry of Home Affairs has drafted legislation that threatens NGOs' freedom of association. The Association Registration Law, introduced in August 2013, has been passed in the upper house and is set for consideration in the lower house. Although compulsory registration enforced by strict sentences of up to 3 years of prison time has now been struck from the bill, if passed it would still significantly hinder NGOs' work by imposing complicated restrictions. Their effectiveness would not only be hindered by the work required to fulfill new requirements, but also by the power granted to government officials to arbitrarily deny NGOs permission to function.

RANGOON - An opposition land rights activist in Burma, also known as Myanmar, has been shot and killed in a remote village in northern Shan State. Neighbors said Sai San Tun was taken away from his house late Wednesday by two men and gun shots were heard minutes later. His body was found Thursday. Tin Maung Toe, another local member of the National League for Democracy, said the victim had been leading villagers in a campaign against land confiscation. "At the beginning of this month, he was helping to solve the issues of land confiscation and money extortion by the village chief. Villagers' lands have been grabbed by a military unit (LID 249). The unit said the lands would be returned, but not yet, so far. Actually he had good relations with the military," he said. Officials have not commented on the corruption allegations. A similar incident occurred last month when another member of the NLD was killed in a nearby township in Shan State. No one claimed responsibility for the killings. A police officer who did not want VOA to use his name said both cases were under investigation. The issue of land confiscation is a sensitive issue in many parts of Burma, where officials are frequently accused of colluding with companies to take land for profit.

On 4 June 2014, Sai San Tun, a member of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) who worked on land rights issues, was shot dead near his house in northern Shan state. He had been leading his village's fight to have their land returned after it was confiscated by the army. The reasons for his murder remain unclear because he reportedly had a good relationship with the military. This incident comes on the heels of another killing of an NLD member in Shan state last month.

On 22 October 2013, two military Special Branch officers came to Aung Zaw Oo's house at 3:45 p.m. They reportedly offered the removal of Aung Zaw Oo's name from a political activists watch list in exchange for his signature on a written statement committing him not engage in political activities. Aung Zaw Oo reportedly rejected this request. On 24 October 2013, as Aung Zaw Oo was leaving an internet caf_, a man on a motorbike ran into him. Aung Zaw Oo narrowly escaped serious injury. On 26 October 2013, a man on a motorbike again reportedly tried to run him over from behind. On 27 October 2013, as Aung Zaw Oo was on his way to a bus station a motorbike reportedly ran into his right arm. Following this, Aung Zaw Oo informed the police special branch of these three incidents. On 3 November 2013, while Aung Zaw Oo was driving his motorbike home from work, another motorbike reportedly intentionally crashed into him. Aung Zaw Oo was reportedly left unconscious by the impact, with his motorbike badly damaged. He woke up two hours after the incident with severe head pain, and received five days of treatment in Taungyi Sissan Tun Hospital. He is reported to still be experiencing head pain, backbone pain, and pain from a rib injury. Aung Zaw Oo reportedly informed the police about the incident and was told that this was a case for the traffic police. He then went to the traffic police office and asked to file a case. On 8 November 2013, the traffic police reportedly told Aung Zaw Oo that his claims were false and that the location of the incident was incorrect. They subsequently asked Aung Zaw Oo for proof of ownership of his motorbike, which he was not able to provide, and was subsequently reportedly accused of receiving stolen property. When Aung Zaw Oo went to the hospital to request his medical records, he was reportedly told by the hospital staff that the police had ordered them not to provide Aung Zaw Oo with his records. One of the motorbikes that hit Aung Zaw Oo is reported to have had a 969 sticker and a sticker depicting a leaf on one of the knee guards of the driver, allegedly indicating that he was a youth member of the 969 movement.

On 22 October 2013, Mr Aung Zaw Oo, a 33 year old Muslim social activist from Taunggyi in Shan State, was asked by military Special Branch officers to sign a written statement committing him not to engage in political activities in exchange for the removal of his name from a political activists watch list. Following his refusal to do so, he was reportedly intentionally hit on three separate occasions by motorcycles. Police have reportedly failed to take up his case, despite the fact that he was seriously injured. It is likely that the alleged attacks are related to his civil society work in Rakhine State.

On 15 July 2013, Mr. Kyaw Hla Aung was taken by police from his home in Thet Kae Pyin, Sittwe, and since then has been held in police custody for questioning. To date, he is being held for questioning reportedly based on accusations relating to protests against the verification exercise within the Muslim village and internally displaced persons (IDP) areas that took place on 26 April 2013. On 26 April 2013, the local government of Rakhine State began implementing a "verification exercise' among Muslim IDPs and villagers currently present in Sittwe Township to provide the Government with accurate household and population data to implement short and long term development plans. The exercise was reportedly conducted by a joint team of immigration officials, police and the border security force (Nasaka). Village household holds and IDPs were reportedly given leaflets informing them about the exercise, and meetings were held with community leaders between 7 and 25 April 2013. In these meetings, the community leaders were told that non-cooperation would be considered a refusal to comply with the rule of the law and that legal action would be taken accordingly. When being told of the forms requiring Muslim IDPs and villagers to be registered as Bengali, the community leaders reportedly repeatedly stated the unwillingness of community members to be registered as Bengali. The exercise began in Thet Kae Pyin and Baw Du Pha, where several individuals objected to being registered as Bengali. In both locations, children from the local schools, reportedly went into the street and shouted they were Rohingya. Observers described the incident as small in scale and mainly involving children and youths. Some stones were allegedly thrown that resulted in some members of the verification team being lightly injured. Following these incidents the verification exercise was suspended. Mr. Kyaw Hla Aung is 74 years old and is in ill health with high blood pressure and swollen joints, and is often in pain from his arthritis and cannot move easily. He takes medication for both. Concerns are expressed that the detention of Mr. Kyaw Hla Aung may be linked to his human rights activities as a community leader. Further concerns are expressed for his physical and psychological integrity while in detention, especially in light of his weak health condition which requires adequate medical treatment.

On 26 April 2013, Mr Kyaw Hla Aung, a Rohingya Muslim community leader and human rights defender, was held in police custody for questioning. It is thought that his detention was in relation to his participation in protests against the population verification exercise and for supporting a movement aiming to create a Rohingya State. As of 30 August 2013, he was still in police custody. 24/07/13: JUA 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 promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief; the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; and the Independent Expert on minority issues. 30/08/13: brief but substantive response by Burma.

On 5 April 2013, Mr. U Than Htun, resident of Pandaung Township, Pyay District, Bago Region, was brought to the Pandaung Township Police Station after an argument with another villager and was released on bail three days later. It is reported that Mr. U Than Htun was actively working for farmers in the Kyar Inn Village (Old) Tract where the National Resource Development Cooperation Company (NRDC) is in a dispute with cultivators over rights to the land. As a result of his role in supporting the farmers, he had been interrog ated four times,and was among 17 people sued by the company. On 17 May 2013, over a month after the incident, Mr. U Than Htun received a letter from the police calling him in for interrogation at the Pandaung Township Police Station on 19 May 2013 at 4.00 p.m. A family member brought Mr. Than Htun to the police station where he immediately got detained despite the fact that he was previously granted bail by a court's decision. On 23 May 2013 at 10.30a.m, police officers came to the residence of Mr. U Than Htun and informed the family that he had been hospitalized at the Pandaung Township Hospital due to his alcoholism. Later that day, the family was reportedly informed that he died due to the effects of alcoholism before arriving at the hospital. Furthermore the police authorities explained that Mr. U Than Htun allegedly hit himself with an iron pole during interrogations as a result of his alcoholism. It is reported that the family took photographs of Mr. U Than Htun's body that depict scars and bruising on his face, legs, and ribs from what is alleged to be the results of beatings with a rubber truncheon; there are lacerations on his two wrists from allegedly prolonged handcuffing. According to the information received, other photographs showed that his face was heavily bruised and deeply swollen. Furthermore, it is reported that the ribs on his left side were broken and there were scars and bruising on his legs from the rolling of a rubber truncheon, which is allegedly a well-known technique of torture in the country. It is also alleged that the post mortem examination revealed that Mr. U Than Htun did not die due to any type of organ failure. It is also reported that when the family tried to recover Mr. Than Htun's clothes as evidence, the police refused to hand them over. Furthermore, it is reported that the police agreed to cover the expenses of the funeral, but did not agree on returning the body of Mr. U Than Htun back to his family. According to the information received, the family tried to lodge a complaint against the commander of Pandaung Township Police Station on 24 May 2013. According to the information received, the death was listed for an inquest which allegedly hindered the family from registering a complaint. It is also reported that on 28 May 2013 the family allegedly succeeded in lodging a complaint. However, it is reported that the court of first instance dismissed the complaint for unknown reasons. Finally, it is reported that in Myanmar, torture is widespread in police stations where it most commonly takes the form of beatings and other blunt methods intended to cause pain and obtain a confession. According to information received, this is also due to the pressure on police officers to take immediate action in criminal cases and to report any results immediately to the higher authorities, which allegedly leads to the use of torture to obtain confessions from suspects. Furthermore, torture is not defined as a criminal offence in the national legislation and police officers are rarely held accountable for abuses committed on detainees in custody. It is also reported that in similar cases, police authorities usually claim that the victims have died as a result of their medical condition. 22/07/13: A Joint Allegation Letter sent to Burma by Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar; the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; and the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. 29/10/2013: Burma provided a short but substantive response.

On 19 May 2013, Mr U Than Htun, a land rights defender, was arrested at Pandaung Township Police Station, Pyay. On 22 May 2013, he was sent to hospital in relation to alleged symptoms of alcoholism, but allegedly died before arriving at hospital. However, he had bruises and scars on his face, ribs, and legs and lacerations on his wrists from the handcuffs. It is thought that Mr. Than Htun was targeted because of his work helping local farmers in their dispute against a government-owned development corporation. 22/07/13: A Joint Allegation Letter sent to Burma by Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar; the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; and the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. 29/10/2013: Burma provided a short but substantive response.