June AUGUST CHRONOLOGY 2018 Summary of the Karreni Youth Activist faces trial from inside prison for Aung San Current Situation: statue protest 273 individuals are oppressed in Burma due to political activity: 19 political prisoners are serving sentences, 53 are awaiting trial inside prison, Accessed August 2018 © Union of Karreni State Youth 201 are awaiting trial outside prison. WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK ACRONYMS AUGUST 2018 1 ABFSU All Burma Federation of Student Unions CAT Conservation Alliance Tanawthari CNPC China National Petroleum Corporation EAO Ethnic Armed Organization GEF Global Environment Facility ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross IDP Internally Displaced Person KHRG Karen Human Rights Group KIA Kachin Independence Army KNU Karen National Union MFU Myanmar Farmers’ Union MNHRC Myanmar National Human Rights Commission MOGE Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise NLD National League for Democracy NNC Naga National Council PAPPL Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law RCSS Restoration Council of Shan State RCSS/SSA Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army – South SHRF Shan Human Rights Foundation TNLA Ta’ang National Liberation Army YUSU Yangon University Students’ Union TABLE OF CONTENTS AUGUST 2018 2 POLITICAL PRISONERS .................................................................. 4 CHARGES ............................................................................................................................................ 4 ARRESTS ............................................................................................................................................ 4 TRIALS ................................................................................................................................................ 4 CONDITIONS OF IMPRISONMENT ......................................................................................... 4 FORMER POLITICAL PRISONERS ............................................................................................ 5 RESTRICTIONS ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS ............... 6 LAND RIGHTS................................................................................................................................ 12 REFERENCES ...................................................................................13 POLITICAL PRISONERS CHARGES On July 3, Khun Kawrio and Ko Bwe Htoo A Further Two Karenni Youth Activists took part in the protests objecting to the are Charged in the Hpasawng township erecting of a statute of General Aung San in AUGUST 2018 3 Loikaw. The two activists distributed focussing on the underprivileged and social pamphlets on the history of the Karenni issues. A second witness, Thant Zin Soe, State whilst objecting to a statue erected in had worked with Wa Lone at a charity Loikaw on Martyrs’ Day at the expense of distributing humanitarian aid to the 50 million kyats (USD $20,125). Both were victims of natural disasters and described charged under Section 505(b) of the Penal him as being consistently ethical, and Code, they appeared in court on August 10 “disgusted by corruption”. In sum, The prosecutors presented 23 witnesses to prove its case, the defense team presented ARRESTS three witnesses and stressed throughout Protestors Arrested in Rangoon for that the two journalists never violated the Calling Military Leaders “Murderous Official Secrets Act. On 27 August the Generals” sentencing of Wal Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo On 31 August, some 10 protestors were was delayed for one week after the judge arrested outside Rangoon’s City Hall for allegedly fell ill. demonstrating and calling for the arrest of Myanmar’s Military generals. Several wore t-shirts with bearing the logo of the CONDITIONS OF organization Movement for Democracy IMPRISONMENT Current Forces (MCDF). One witness told Prisoner Numbers Increase, Exceeding Coconuts that the protesters were arrested Prisons Capacity around 10 minutes after they began the On August 20, a report was released by the protest began, and they were taken to the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw/Parliament Public Kyauktada Township police station. The Account Joint Committee regarding the rate protest is in response to the recent UN Fact of incarceration of prisoners for drug Finding Mission report. offenses. This report for 2016-2017 also brought to light the conditions in which all prisoners, including political prisoners, TRIAL have to deal with. The number of prisoners Updates in Reuters Reporters Case have increased year after year, exceeding On 4 August U.S. Secretary of State Mike the capacity of the prisons. The average Pompeo tweeted after his meeting prison space ratio was 11.96 square feet with foreign minister Kyaw Tin in for a man and 15.3sq ft for a woman, as of Singapore that he had called for the March 30, 2017. In addition to this, prison immediate release of the two journalists officers are woefully understaffed, only detained “for doing their job”. When asked 2484 are currently employed out of 5326 for a response on Pompeo’s comments, required. Government spokesperson Zaw Htay said “our judiciary is independent so we must wait and see what the court decides”. SSPP/SSA Officer Dies From Suspicious On August 6 in the Yangon Northern Circumstances After Release From District Court Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo Government Prison were described as “consistently ethical” by On August 20 Sao Sam Myint, a district a former teacher. On a day of defense officer in the SSPP/SSA, who was only witnesses, Ye Naing Moe, director of freed from a state-run prison in May 2018 Yangon Journalism School, praised both died in a Mandalay hospital from apparent reporters as curious and excellent students liver disease. Sao Sam Myint was arrested who had won multiple awards for stories more than two years ago while traveling AUGUST 2018 4 from Muse to Kutkai township in northern improved but that there is “still a long Shan State. At the time he was serving in story when talking about judiciary sector”. the SSPP/SSA liaison office in Muse. After being detained for two years in Muse on 88 Generation Leader Ma Mee Mee Dies the Shan-China border starting in March in Car Accident 2016, he was transferred to a Lashio On August 13 a spokesperson for the 88 prison. A friend of Sao Sam Myint who only Generation Peace and Open Society spoke to SHAN on condition of anonymity confirmed that prominent 88 generation alleged he had been tortured whilst in leader Ma Mee Mee crashed while detention and that the circumstances travelling along the Yangon-Pathein surrounding his death is suspicious Highway in Kyaunggon township in considering the diagnosis of liver disease in Ayeyarwady Region. Born Thin Thin Aye, a younger man who was not known to Ma Mee Mee was a well known activist who drink heavily. was first imprisoned in 1988 when she was just 16-years old. In total she spent 10- FORMER POLITICAL years imprisoned over a 20-year period in PRISONERS Insein, Tharrawaddy, Pathein, Kathar, and 88 Generation Leaders Mark 30 Year Shwebo prisons for her role in the pro- Anniversary of Pro-Democracy Uprising democracy movement. The National On August 8 a low key ceremony was held League for Democracy (NLD) posted a at Yangon University to statement on Facebook saying the Party commemorate those who lost their lives in was deeply saddened by the fatal accident. the brutal suppression that followed Former political prisoner Ko Jimmy nationwide protests 30 years to the day. 88 expressed expressed his disbelief to the Generation leaders gave speeches to some Myanmar Times, that “the loss was so 2,000 packed attendees in the Yangon sudden”. On August 17 thousands attended University recreation hall. The speeches the funeral of Ma Mee Mee in northern largely reflected on the struggle for Rangoon. Veteran activists from the 8888 democracy and how the current political generation led speeches recounting their climate is far from perfect. Former political memories of the activist. prisoner Ko Shell who spent 14 years in prison believes the sacrifices made by those who took part in the pro-democracy uprisings are being forgotten as the Government reconciles with a Military whilst neglecting “compensation, monuments, or other forms of redress”. Min Ko Naing, who spent 15 years incarcerated admitted the situation had RESTRICTIONS ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS AUGUST 2018 5 Local Youths From Maingpyin and Free Asia reported this is likely because of Maingpon Flee Forced Recruitment the heightening hostilities between TNLA It is reported that a majority of youths in and RCSS/SSA in Shan State. In addition to Southern Shan State are fleeing their the Pang Kut villagers disappearance on villagers from fear of being recruited by July 31 artillery shells landed near the RCSS/SSA. A resident of Maingpyin is community, in the southwestern part of quoted in Eleven Myanmar as saying that Namtu Township, leading to 100 people the RCSS/SSA demands one recruit from fleeing the area and seeking refuge in each village “and if the village is big, they neighboring Hsipaw. Over 800 villagers demand two”. Because of this, and fearful have fled their villages as the conflict that their families will not be able feed escalates between RCSS/SSA and the their families, many youths flee to other Northern Alliance (which TNLA is a towns. In a meeting with SHAN, Chairman member of). Meanwhile the Northern of RCSS/SSA General Ywet Sit said that Alliance accused the RCSS/SSA of detaining there are no forced recruitments and locals villager Sai Teng, a native of Ner