September 2015 AAPP Monthly Chronology

Summary of the Current Situation
As of the end of September, there are 96 political prisoners incarcerated in Burma, with 466 activists currently awaiting trial for political actions.
MONTH IN REVIEW
This month, six political activists were arrested in total, one of whom was incarcerated. Eight were sentenced, and 15 were released. Seven political prisoners are reported to be in bad health.
Multiple political prisoners have continued to receive additional charges and sentences under the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Act this month. Five student leaders of the All Burma Federation Students Union (ABFSU) and the Confederation of University Students Union (CUSU) received additional charges under Section 18 of the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Act. Two separate pairs of activists already serving prison sentences, Nay Myo Zin and Naw Ohn Hla, and Htay Aung and Soe Zaw received additional jail time under Section 18 as a result of charges under multiple townships. Phyo Wai Kyaw, a solo protester protesting the use of bribery in the judicial system, was also sentenced under Section 18, continuing the trend to use the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Act to suppress freedom of expression and dissent.
Garment protest leaders Myo Min Min and Naing Htay Lwin were sentenced on September 11 to two years and six months and two years and two months respectively for their roles in the protests against unfair wages and unfair dismissals of garment workers. An additional 13 workers and three supporters of the workers are still awaiting trial for their participation in the protests.
Efforts to release the students and activists arrested for protesting the National Education Bill on March 10 have also continued. On September 7 a ‘Failed Law’ campaign was launched in protest of the judicial system that is currently failing these students and many other activists. On September 10 networks of lawyers in Burma announced their plans to petition for the release of the students and activists.
Rather than listen to public pleas, in a hearing on September 10 – six months after the March 10 arrests – the judge rejected the students’ requests to dismiss the case, to take action against the violent police officers and to release on bail the detained 12 non-student activists.
In another effort to draw out the Letpadan trial, Khin Khin Kyaw, a lawyer representing the students and activists, was summoned to court for obstructing authorities. She appeared in court this month, was released on bail and has a second hearing scheduled for October 5.
The concerns over the treatment of student activists and human rights defenders were echoed by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC). The MNHRC made a rare statement following an investigation they conducted into the violent crackdowns on the Letpadan protesters in which they denounced police brutality and called for legal action to be taken against the police officials involved in the crackdown. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights singled out the detention and the conviction of student activists, farmers and human rights defenders as undermining the ability of the November election to transition Burma towards democracy.
For More Information
Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma)
Tate Naing Secretary +95(0)94280 23828
Bo Kyi Joint Secretary +66(0) 819628 713
Summary of the Current Situation
As of the end of September, there are 96 political prisoners incarcerated in Burma, with 466 activists currently awaiting trial for political actions.
MONTH IN REVIEW
This month, six political activists were arrested in total, one of whom was incarcerated. Eight were sentenced, and 15 were released. Seven political prisoners are reported to be in bad health.
Multiple political prisoners have continued to receive additional charges and sentences under the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Act this month. Five student leaders of the All Burma Federation Students Union (ABFSU) and the Confederation of University Students Union (CUSU) received additional charges under Section 18 of the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Act. Two separate pairs of activists already serving prison sentences, Nay Myo Zin and Naw Ohn Hla, and Htay Aung and Soe Zaw received additional jail time under Section 18 as a result of charges under multiple townships. Phyo Wai Kyaw, a solo protester protesting the use of bribery in the judicial system, was also sentenced under Section 18, continuing the trend to use the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Act to suppress freedom of expression and dissent.
Garment protest leaders Myo Min Min and Naing Htay Lwin were sentenced on September 11 to two years and six months and two years and two months respectively for their roles in the protests against unfair wages and unfair dismissals of garment workers. An additional 13 workers and three supporters of the workers are still awaiting trial for their participation in the protests.
Efforts to release the students and activists arrested for protesting the National Education Bill on March 10 have also continued. On September 7 a ‘Failed Law’ campaign was launched in protest of the judicial system that is currently failing these students and many other activists. On September 10 networks of lawyers in Burma announced their plans to petition for the release of the students and activists.
Rather than listen to public pleas, in a hearing on September 10 – six months after the March 10 arrests – the judge rejected the students’ requests to dismiss the case, to take action against the violent police officers and to release on bail the detained 12 non-student activists.
In another effort to draw out the Letpadan trial, Khin Khin Kyaw, a lawyer representing the students and activists, was summoned to court for obstructing authorities. She appeared in court this month, was released on bail and has a second hearing scheduled for October 5.
The concerns over the treatment of student activists and human rights defenders were echoed by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC). The MNHRC made a rare statement following an investigation they conducted into the violent crackdowns on the Letpadan protesters in which they denounced police brutality and called for legal action to be taken against the police officials involved in the crackdown. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights singled out the detention and the conviction of student activists, farmers and human rights defenders as undermining the ability of the November election to transition Burma towards democracy.
For More Information
Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma)
Tate Naing Secretary +95(0)94280 23828
Bo Kyi Joint Secretary +66(0) 819628 713

Download PDF file SEPTEMBER CHRONOLOGY 2015