July Newsletter HUMAN RIGHTS DISCUSSIONS

ADVOCACY AND LOBBYING

Delegation from U.S. Senate Visited Mae Sot AAPP Office

On July 6th, delegation from the U.S. Senate led by Mr. Paul Grove, State to Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs including Mr. Robert Karem, National Security Advisor to Senator Mitch McConnell, Timothy M.Scherer (Acting Consul General), Linnea M.Beatty, PhD Program Adviser Office of Democracy, Governance and Humanitarian Assistance and Sittha Lertphaiboonsiri (Political Specialist) U.S Consulate General Chiang Mai visited the office of AAPP in Mae Sot, Thailand. U Bo Kyi, AAPP Joint Secretary, Ko Zaw Moe, AAPP’s Documentation and Research Chief and Deputy of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Max Morch, Human Rights Officer, held a meeting with them and discussed AAPP’s current activities along with the political and human rights situation in Burma.

then discussed with them. Then, we discussed the negative effects of drugs abuse. At the end of each presentation, AAPP distributed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) pamphlets to raise awareness amongst the participants

In July, AAPP provided a total of (39) basic human rights lectures to students in Sagaing Township, Myinmu Township, Myaung Township and Monywa Township in Sagaing Division. A total of 11,894 students attended the lectures and teachers joined.

GENERAL ACTIVITIES

Paung Sie Facility Visited AAPP

On July 1st, Anthony Neil and Myo Hein Htut (Programme Officer) from Paung Sie Facility visited the AAPP office in Rangoon and had a look around “The Memory of the Past Museum”. AAPP officials gave them a museum tour; then U Bo Kyi, AAPP Joint Secretary, U Kyaw Soe Win, AAPP-MHAP Chief, and Ko Zaw Moe, AAPP’s Documentation and Research Chief and Deputy of Foreign Affairs, discussed with them AAPP’s current activities and the current political conditions in Burma.

SYCB Visited AAPP.

On July 3rd, 15 students led by Mone Pe, both from Students and Youth Congress of Burma (SYCB), visited AAPP’s office in Rangoon and looked around “The Memory of the Past Museum”. AAPP officials gave them a museum tour; then U Tate Naing, AAPP Secretary, met them and explained AAPP’s aim along with its past and current activities.

The Wing Institute Visited AAPP’s Rangoon Office

On July 9, 20 students from the Wing Institute led by Ma Phyo Phyo Aung visited AAPP’s Rangoon Office and observed AAPP’s Museum, Memory of the Past. AAPP officials gave a museum tour to them. Then, Head of Rangoon Office U Aung Myo Kyaw explained to them the purpose of the establishment of AAPP, current and past activities and answered the questions of the students.

On July 12, members of Ta’ang (Palaung) visited AAPP’s Rangoon Office and observed AAPP’s Museum, Memory of the Past. AAPP member U Kyaw Soe and AAPP-MHAP Trainer Ko Htin Aung gave a museum tour to them. Then, they explained to them the establishment of AAPP and current activities and answered the questions of the students.

Discussion of “Drawback the record of Good History of Students”

On July 12, discussion, titled the “Drawback the record of Good History of Students”, which was organized by the Kyaukse University Student Union and the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), was held in the Kyaukse University in Mandalay Division. At the discussion, Deputy Rector Doctor Su Su Win, delivered the opening speech and Chairman of the Kyaukse University Student Union Ko Aye Min gave the purpose of the discussion. Head of AAPP Rangoon’s Office U Aung Myo Kyaw served as a moderator, Min Ko Naing from the 88 Peace and Open Society, Chairman of the All Burma Students Democractic Front (ABSDF) U Than Ke and U Min Zin from ISP-Myanmar discussed the students by comparing to their experiences about students’ past movements, conditions of current students and factors that give the students strength. Then, they answered the questions of the students and teachers.

Attended the Ceremony of Martyrs Day in Chaung-U Township in Sagaing Division

On July 19, members of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) attended the 72nd Ceremony of Martyrs Day which was held in Chaung- U Township in Sagaing Division and saluted the martyrs.

International Visitors Visited AAPP’s Mae Sot Office

On July 8 and July 15, a total of 40 students and teachers from the Minmahaw School in Mae Sot, July 12, 15 students from Taiwan leb by the Tak Border Child Assistance Foundation (TBCAF), July 26, 20 students from Hongkong led by the Minmahaw School visited AAPP’s Mae Sot Office, Thailand. Ma Moe Pan Phyu from AAPP explained to them AAPP activities, and the conditions endured by political prisoners and the human rights situation in Burma, our museum exhibits and answered questions.

MENTAL HEALTH ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

Common Element Treatment Approach (CETA) Training

On July 22 to August 2, Ko Htin Aung, AAPP- MHAP Trainer, and Ma Khin Nyein Chan Soe, trainer of the John Hopkins University (JHU) provided the CETA Mental Health Counseling Training to 18 participants of four regional based organizations of Kachin Development Group (KDG), Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC), Population Services International (PSI) and Substance Abuse Research Association (SARA) in Myitkyina Township in Kachin State.

Counseling

Six female counselors and two male counselors are providing counseling to the trainees at the Disabled Adult Vocational Training Center in Yangon.

In July, four counselors visited the Womens Vocational Training Center in Yangon on every Saturday and Sunday. Four clients completed their counseling sessions and seven clients are receiving their treatment.

Two counselors visited the Women Development Center in Yangon on every Saturday in July, two clients completed their counseling sessions and two clients are receiving counseling.

One supervisor and five counselors visited Hgnet Aw Sann Youth Training Center (Juvenile prison) on every Monday. In July 2019, 18 clients are receiving their treatment.

In July 2019, AAPP-MHAP Yangon team counselors are also providing CETA mental health counseling services for former political prisoners and their family members, other vulnerable population such as HIV patients, victims of human trafficking, victims of raped and poverty effected population in Yangon area.

A counselor from Bago Region is also providing CETA mental health counseling services for former political prisoners, their family members and other vulnerable populations in Bago area.

AAPP-MHAP Mandalay team counselor is providing CETA mental health counseling services for former political prisoners and their family members, other vulnerable population in Mandalay area.

AAPP-MHAP Mae Sot team provided CETA mental health counseling services for the migrant population, the victims of human trafficking, sex workers and victims of civil war in Myanmar. In July, four female clients and six male clients completed their counseling sessions, and 18 female clients and ten male clients are receiving counseling.

For more Information 

Bo Kyi         Joint Secretary    +95(0) 942530 8840

Aung Myo Kyaw  In-Charge of AAPP (Rangoon Office) +95(0) 942530 8840