October News Letter 2020
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ASSISTANCE ASSOCIATION FOR POLITICAL PRISONERS (AAPP) OCTOBER NEWS LETTER 2020 7. October. 2020 TALK Self-Care and Mental Empowerment Talk at 24 Quarantine Centers In October TALK 1 TRAINNING 2 ADVOCACY AND 4 LOBBYING 5 SUPPORT Mental empowerment talks in Rangoon DOCUMENTION 5 AND RESEARCH The Assistance Association for Rangoon Region Government. At first, we Political Prisoners (AAPP) held self-care provided the talks at the quarantine GENERAL ACTIVI- 6 and mental empowerment talks at centers in Hlaingthaya Township and TIES quarantine centers (COVID-19 Infectious officials from other centers were informed MENTAL HEALTH 7 Disease Control Center) in some of the news and AAPP received the PROGRAM townships of Ayeyarwady, Bago and invitation from them to hold the talks at Rangoon Divisions during the first wave other quarantine centers in Rangoon INTERVIEW 8 of COVID-19. During the second wave of Division. COVID-19, there are more and more From October 10-25, the Assistance infected people and quarantine centers. Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) Due to these conditions, according to the provided a total of 25 Self-Care and request of writer Than Myint Aung, Mental Empowerment Talks at 24 member of the Yangon City Development quarantine centers, which is now housing Committee (YCDC), we planned to hold those losing sense of smell, positive talks at the quarantine centers in infection and those who have come into Rangoon Division with the permission of Page 2 October News Letter contact with the infected. A total of 50 quarantined people and 8 health 4561 quarantined people were present volunteers at a quarantine center in and 1129 volunteers attended the Mingaladon Township speech. 750 quarantined people and 390 395 quarantined people and 67 health volunteers at three health olunteers at four quarantine quarantine centers in South Dagon centers in Thanlyin Township Township 135 quarantined people and 38 247 quarantined people and 45 health volunteers at a quarantine health volunteers at three center in Kyimyindaing Township quarantine centers in East Dagon 64 quarantined people and 9 health Township volunteers at a quarantine center in 2000 quarantined people and 400 Latha Township health volunteers at a quarantine These trainings 100 quarantined people and 35 center in Dagon Seikkan Township health volunteers at a quarantine The talks were led by writer and served as capacity center in Ahlone Township AAPP’s counselor Daw Hnin Pan Eain building measures, and AAPP Rangoon Office Head U Aung 312 quarantined people and 35 Myo Kyaw who talked about the purpose aiming to health volunteers at three of the talks. AAPP members Ko Wunna quarantine centers in Hlaing encourage and Nwel, Ko Zaw Than Htut, Ko Khin Township inform the Maung Win and Ko Kyi Toe also participated. Parliamentary participants about 47 quarantined people and 13 health volunteers at a quarantine center in representatives, local officials, Township democratic North Okkalapa Township administrators, health workers, former principles and help political prisoners, CSOs members, Red 461 quarantined people and 89 Cross members, Together Thanlyin them protect their health volunteers at six quarantine volunteers, and COVID-19 Protection human rights. centers in Hlaingthaya Township Committee Members cooperated. TRAINING Basic Human Rights Training Online The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) conducted two basic human rights courses online this month. Online courses #9 and #10 were held from September 26 to October 3. Snapshot from basic human rights online training 2020 Page 3 A total of 15 people (8 females and 7 for Democracy (ALD), Ethnics Women males) attended Course #9. The trainees Group, Community Peace Support (CPS), were members of the Shining Life Wa Green Life Alliance for Development Youth Organizations, Community Peace (GLAD), Kasi Kaja Survivor Group, Support (CPS), Ta'ang Students and Youth students and teachers. They were ethnic Union (TSYU), Kachin Women's Arakan, Burmese, Shan, Wa, Lisu, Ta’ang Association of Thailand (KWAT), Kyal Sin and Kachin and came from Kachin State, Pyay Lann Charity Group, Pyin Nyar Arakan State, Rangoon Division and Yaung Chi Library Association, Indigenous Mandalay Division. Social Development Organization (ISDO), The lectures were provided by AAPP students and civilians. The trainees were representative, Ko Wanna Nwel. The main ethnic Burmese, Wa, Kachin, Shan, Shan- topics discussed were the concepts and Ta’ang, Karen, Shan-Burmese and Chin definitions of human rights, social from Rangoon Division, Sagaing Division, responsibility, and accountability, and the Arakan State, Shan State and Kachin history of human rights from the Geneva State. Conventions, to the Universal Declaration In Training Course #10, a total of 15 of Human Rights (UDHR), and people (9 females and 6 males) attended. contemporary humanitarian law. They were members of the Arakan League Transitional Justice Online Training (Batch 2) Snapshot from online transitional justice training #2 The Assistance Association for Politi- ance for Development (GLAD), Arakan cal Prisoners (Burma) (AAPP) held a train- League for Democracy Party (ALD) and ing on Transitional Justice Online Train- Rainbow Spectrum and a doctor and and ing in the month of October. The 8-day participants were Ta’ang, Burmese, Shan, training was organized from October 5-12. Rakhine, Lisu, Wa, Kachin and Chin Eth- The training was administered by nic Backgrounds. AAPP’s trainer, Ko Kyaw Oo. Participants The training served as capacity build- were members of the Ta’ang Students and ing measures, aiming to encourage and Youth Union, (TSYU), United Democratic inform the participants about democratic Party, Indigenous Social Development Or- principles and help them protect their hu- ganization (ISDO), Kasi Kaja Survivor man rights. Group, Shining Life Wa Youth Organiza- tions, Harmonious Youth, Green Life Alli- Page 4 October News Letter Human Rights, Complaint Mechanism, Transitional Justice and Documentation of Human Rights Violations Basic Training Online Snapshot from online HR, Complaint Mechanism, and TR training The Assistance Association for (KYDG), 8888 New Generation, Kachin Political Prisoners (Burma) (AAPP) held Women's Association of Thailand a 12 day training on Human Rights, (KWAT), Shanni Youth Group, Complaint Mechanism, Transitional Technological University Hinthada Justice and Documentation of Human Students’ Union, and a militia leader. Rights Violations Basic Training Online Moreover, they are Burmese, Ta’ang, from October 17-28. This training was Kachin, Shan, Taung Yoe, Mon, Shanni, With the aim of administered by AAPP trainer’s Ko Karen and Danu Ethnics and from documenting the Wunna Nwel and Ko Kyaw Oo. A total of Kachin, Kayah, Karen, Shan States, human rights 15 participants (6 females and 9 males) Rangoon, Mandalay, Bago, Magwe, attended. Participants were members of Ayeyarwaddy and Sagaing Divisions. conditions and the National League for Democracy The training served as capacity how many (NLD), 88 Generation Peace and Open building measures, aiming to encourage sentences, arrests Society, Civic and Justice Development and inform the participants about Youths, AFFM-IUF, Shan Women’s and charges of democratic principles and help them Lead, Taung Yoe Women Organization, protect their human rights. political activists, Kyondoe Youth Development Group farmers, workers and civilians have ADVOCACY AND LOBBYING been made in Burma, AAPP Secretary U Tate Naing and Ko Zaw Moe Attends Meetings and Discussions On October 5, U Tate Naing, AAPP’s On October 21, U Tate Naing and Ko Secretary, and Ko Zaw Moe AAPP’s Zaw Moe met with Open Society Documentation and Research Head and Myanmar for a brainstorming session Deputy Foreign Affairs had discussions and strategy development on promoting with Kernellix for an AAPP Application Security Assessment. legal accountability in Burma. 2020 Page 5 AAPP Rangoon Office Head Attends Meetings and Discussions On October 9 and October 15, U https://www.amnesty.org/en/ Aung Myo Kyaw, AAPP’s Rangoon Office documents/asa16/3234/2020/en/? Head, Amnesty International and Athen utm_source=FBPAGE- held a meeting for candidates and IS&utm_medium=social&utm_content political parties to make election promises. =3959258204&utm_campaign=Human The following link of output is available +Rights+Defenders&utm_term=Making here - _the_Case_for_Human_Rights-No SUPPORT Supporting Current and Former Political Prisoners The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) continued to Supporting political 1 prisoner provide support to political prisoners prisoners currently incarcerated and former political prisoners struggling with their Supporting former po- 12 prisoners daily lives. In October, AAPP supported litical prisoners with (1) political prisoner from the prison of ailments Pathein. In addition to this, AAPP supported (12) former political prisoners suffering from a variety of Supporting Former Po- 2 prisoner ailments, such as (Mental stress, Liver, litical Prisoners during Malaria, Heart, Stroke, Neuropathy COVID-19 Pandemic Diseases, Broken Arm and Stomach Operation) In addition, AAPP supported 2 former Total 15 prison- ers political prisoners during the COVID-19 Pandemic. DOCUMENTATION AND RESEARCH Publish Monthly Chronology, Lists of Political Prisoners and AAPP Newsletter With the aim of documenting international embassies and human rights conditions and how many representatives of NGOs and CBOs, sentences,