Over 40 CSOs demand withdrawal of charges against human rights activists

By Aung Htein 10 Jan 2021

Aung Htein | DMG
10 January 2021, Sittwe

Forty-three civil society organisations (CSOs) including prominent signatories Athan, Land in Our Hands, Rakhine Youth New Generation Network, Rakhine Ethnics Congress and Generation Wave, issued a joint statement on January 10 demanding that recent lawsuits against human rights activists be withdrawn.

Three youths including Ko Than Hla aka Ko Min Bar Chay, from the Rakhine Youth New Generation Network, have been charged under Section 19(a) of the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Association Law for staging a human rights demonstration in Sittwe on December 10, on the occasion of International Human Rights Day.

Ko Sithu, general secretary of Land in Our Hands, said the government of a nominally democratic country was oppressing the human rights movement instead of encouraging and promoting its values.

“I see it is breaching human rights. And I also think that it wants to oppress ethnic nationals. I believe that those who are against the establishment of a federal system are not in accord with the democratic standard,” he said.

The CSOs’ statement noted that International Human Rights Day is observed annually in Myanmar and across the globe, and is an important opportunity for advocating every individual’s right to justice, dignity and equity.

The CSOs said that arresting and charging those who held a campaign to mark International Human Rights Day is the government itself violating human rights standards.

On October 19, Ko Kyaw Naing Htay, Ko Oo Than Naing, Ko Myat Soe Win and Ko Kaung Tun from the Arakan Students’ Union were arrested for staging a peaceful protest against the government. They have subsequently been charged under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code for incitement.

Ko Kyaw Naing Htay and Ko Oo Than Naing are facing trial charged under Section 19 of the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law for a protest outside the Arakan State government offices in Sittwe on September 9, over human rights violations in Arakan State.

Ma Ei Ei Moe, general secretary of Generation Wave, said violations of human rights are mostly found in war-affected areas, adding that those elsewhere who speak out against human rights breaches are also facing human rights abuses and oppression.

“Based on these situations, we see that the rule of law is weak in our country. We also found that human rights breaching is occurring in every sector in war-affected areas as well as the judicial branch does not provide any help over human rights violations, but rather oppresses activists judicially,” she said.

The statement said that the government’s decision to prosecute human rights activists is in violation of democratic standards, and human and ethnic rights.

More than 60 people have been charged for staging protests over Arakan State affairs and more than 20 have been sentenced to imprisonment, according to Athan, a freedom of expression advocacy group.