DEFEND THE THREE FREEDOMS IN MYANMAR DEFEND THE THREE FREEDOMS IN MYANMAR Myanmar’s authorities have promised free to the media, to join political parties and Myanmar is part of the and fair elections. The majority of to hold meetings and demonstrations. governments, including Myanmar’s Association of South East neighbours in the Association of Southeast • All political prisoners arrested for their Asian Nations (ASEAN), are calling for peaceful activism to be released Asian Nations (ASEAN). immediately and unconditionally. and hoping this will be the case. The other nine members However, the reality is that the expression • The repression of ethnic minority of such hopes will do little to address the activists to cease immediately. of ASEAN are Brunei, restrictions on human rights already in place. And calling for free and fair • The international community, particularly Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar’s neighbours and other elections will not address the widespread Laos, Malaysia, human rights violations taking place. concerned governments, to publicly call for the three freedoms to be Philippines, Singapore, In order to protect the human rights of respected and to speak out forcefully the people of Myanmar during and after if individuals are harassed and the elections, Amnesty International is Thailand and Vietnam. detained for their peaceful political calling for: views and activities in the lead-up to Your action will demand • Myanmar’s authorities to guarantee the elections and beyond. the three freedoms of expression, these nations support the We cannot let the repression continue association and peaceful assembly for all. three freedoms in Myanmar. This includes being able to campaign while Myanmar’s elections go ahead. With for a boycott of the elections, to report your help, we can work towards a global openly on the elections, to print outcry that ensures the people of Myanmar campaign material without censorship, are protected in the lead-up to the 2010 to speak freely and without punishment elections and beyond. Amnesty International September 2010 Authorities in Myanmar (also known as Burma) will hold the country’s first elections in The three freedoms of 20 years on 7 November 2010. But unless immediate action is taken, people’s ability to speak out and organise themselves freely will continue to be severely restricted; expression, peaceful assembly political prisoners will remain behind bars; and any opposition to the government on the streets could be violently suppressed. and association are severely Following the last elections in 1990, the winning party, the National League for Democracy restricted in the lead-up (NLD), was stopped from taking power by the military. Many of their members, including to Myanmar’s elections. party leader Daw Aung Sang Suu Kyi and activists from ethnic minority groups, are still imprisoned for their peaceful political activities. For more than 20 years the authority’s human rights record has been terrible. The security forces have used excessive and, at times, lethal force against peaceful protesters. Torture by the army and police is common and the authorities suppress those who stand up for human rights, often by sentencing them to long terms of imprisonment after unfair trials. People are frequently sent to prisons far away from their families and are held in very poor conditions. Many fall ill in prison. Some die. Above: A man votes in Myanmar’s controversial There are more than 2,200 political prisoners in Myanmar today. This is double the number 2008 constitutional referendum at a polling of political prisoners since the start of the ‘Saffron Revolution’ of September 2007. station in Hlaeuk Township near Yangon. © AP Photo/Democratic Voice of Burma Authorities have not taken any steps to improve their poor human rights record – instead the situation is deteriorating. Right: Boats with ‘NO’ (to the 2008 draft Constitution) on its sail, floating down the Bluchon River in Kayah State, Myanmar, May 2008. This peaceful protest was part of anti-constitutional referendum activities by ethnic Karenni activists. © KNGY Amnesty International September 2010 NEW CONSTITUTION polls and evicted people taking shelter in can lead to a person being categorised schools and monasteries so they could be as ineligible (Pyithu Hluttaw Election In May 2008, Myanmar’s authorities held used as polling stations. Some survivors Law, SPDC Law No. 3/2010, chapter V). a referendum on a new constitution were warned that if they did not vote, giving immunity to perpetrators of human they would not be allowed to return to • The electoral laws also list a number rights violations, including government their homes. of offences and penalties, including a officials and the security forces. In the vaguely-worded provision against lead-up to the poll, the authorities ELECTORAL LAWS “exhorting” persons to vote or not in introduced a new law prohibiting public In March 2010, the government enacted the elections (Pyithu Hluttaw Election criticism of the referendum and its socio- five electoral laws and four bylaws for the Law, SPDC Law No. 3/2010, chapter political organisation, the Union Solidarity forthcoming elections. These laws clearly XIII and Amyotha Hluttaw Election and Development Association, launched violate the rights to freedom of expression, Law, SPDC Law No. 4/2010, chapter a ‘vote yes’ campaign. The ‘vote no’ peaceful assembly and association: XIII). This is in blatant violation of the movement by peaceful anti-government right to freedom of expression. activists was severely restricted through • They arbitrarily exclude whole sections cash incentives, monopolisation and of Myanmar’s society, including “persons The authorities said that the laws are manipulation of the media, harassment, serving a prison term under a sentence necessary because “there may be acts arrests and violent attacks on individuals. passed by any court” (Pyithu Hluttaw by subversives to disrupt elections” and More than 70 ‘vote no’ activists were Election Law, SPDC Law No. 3/2010, reminded citizens that a harsh 1996 Law arrested in April 2008 and Amnesty chapter IV and Amyotha Hluttaw Protecting the Peaceful and Systematic International is aware of at least 55 Election Law, SPDC Law No. 4/2010, Transfer of State Responsibility is still in people who are still behind bars. chapter IV). This excludes more than force. The law provides for a five to 20 2,200 political prisoners. year prison sentence for anyone who The government proceeded with the “incites, delivers speeches or makes oral referendum in the immediate aftermath • The Political Parties Registration Law of Cyclone Nargis, which struck the bars all political prisoners from member- or written statements that undermine the country on 2 and 3 May 2008, leaving ship of a political party, including Daw stability of the state, community peace more than 140,000 people dead or Aung San Suu Kyi and hundreds of and tranquillity and prevalence of law and missing. The authorities later announced other imprisoned opposition members order”. Any organisation that violates the that 98.1 per cent of eligible voters had (Political Parties Registration Law, law can be suspended. voted during the referendum and that SPDC Law No. 2/2010, chapter II). In June, the Union Election Commission 92.4 per cent of these were in favour of • The electoral laws limit who can run banned political parties from undertaking the new constitution. in the elections and may be applied to campaigning activities that could Amnesty International has learned that non-violent opposition groups. “Credible “harm security, the rule of law and soldiers marched cyclone survivors to the contact” with an “unlawful association” community peace”. THE REPRESSION OF ETHNIC MINORITY POLITICAL ACTIVISTS Khun Bedu, Khun Kawrio and Khun Dee De – political activists from the Karenni ethnic group in Myanmar – were arrested in 2008 for their peaceful opposition to the constitutional referendum. As leading members of an activist youth group called Kayan New Generation Youth, they had organised a group of local dissidents to release balloons, launch paper boats and paint walls with their peaceful political messages. After 15 days of interrogation, during which they were repeatedly tortured, the three men were sentenced by military officials without a trial, judge or lawyer. Khun Kawrio and Khun Bedu were given 37 years and Khun Dee De 35 years in prison. Activists from ethnic minority groups, like those in the country’s mainstream political opposition, risk arrest, imprisonment and torture simply for attempting to carry out their legitimate work. For more information see Amnesty International’s report The repression of ethnic minority activists in Myanmar, February 2010. SUPPRESSION OF PEACEFUL PAST CRACKDOWNS Widespread and systematic POLITICAL DISSENT History shows that public acts of dissent human rights violations The authorities have for many years justified have resulted in brutal crackdowns. the imprisonment of thousands of people persist in Myanmar. Unless on the basis that they were seeking to 8/8/88 cause unrest or that they posed threats to the international community On 8 August 1988, students took to the or committed acts deemed to disrupt law streets in the former capital Yangon and order, peace and tranquillity. These urgently pays attention and (also called Rangoon) to demand terms are found in a range of vaguely- democracy and human rights from their demands essential human rights worded security laws that allow