Press Release on the Arrest of Wai Phyo

Wai Phyo@Gali, Secretary of Generation Wave was arrested by Aung Lin Chief of Pyay Township police station (1) at 11:30 July 10th 2013. The police said they arrested him for a “Free Political Prisoners” poster campaign which he organized in July 2011. For that activity two other members of Generation Wave were arrested in July 2011 and sentenced for 3months imprisonment or 30,000 Kyats penalty in February 2012. Wai Phyo was escaped from arrest and police issued warrant on him since then […]

Upper Burma Court Sentences Three Human Rights Defenders to Long-Term Imprisonment; Guards Intimidate Lawyer

On 8 July, Shwebo Township court handed out additional sentences to U Aung Soe, U Maung San and Ko Soe Thu, increasing their prison terms to respectively 11 years and six months and two years and six months. The three human rights defenders were previously detained, held incommunicado and sentenced in unfair trials for their opposition to the Letpadaung Copper Mine […]

Myanmar: Dismiss Charges Against Scores of Human Rights Defenders and Peaceful Protesters

The continuing arrest, detention, and threats against human rights defenders and peaceful protesters in Myanmar are stark reminders that basic freedoms remain at risk in the country. The authorities must immediately and unconditionally release and dismiss charges against scores of activists and others who are detained or threatened with arrest for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association. Amnesty International considers individuals who are imprisoned solely for the peaceful exercise of their human rights to be prisoners of conscience. Laws in Myanmar that are used to criminalize individuals exercising their rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association must be amended and brought in line with international human rights standards […]

Burma: Arrest Warrants Issued Against Messrs. Moe Thway, Wai Lu and Wai Hmuu Thwin

The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about the issue of arrest warrants against Messrs. Moe Thway, a member of Generation Wave Youth Force, a network of human rights defenders that campaigns for civil and political rights, including the signature of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by Burma, and that campaigns against the Letpadaung copper mine project, and have brought the campaign to national attention, as well as Wai Lu and Wai Hmuu Thwin, members of Yangon People Service Network, which campaigns for the respect of rule of law and democracy in Burma and has been involved in the campaign against the Letpadaung project […]

Arrest Warrants Issued Against Human Rights Defenders Messrs Moe Thway, Wai Lu and Wai Hmuu Thwin

On 20 June 2013, human rights defenders Messrs Moe Thway, Wai Lu and Wai Hmuu Thwin published a statement regarding the arrest warrants issued against them on 13 June 2013 by Monywa Court under section 505 (b) of the Penal Code, “offences against the state or against public tranquillity” […]

Statement on Arrest Warrants for Speaking Out about Letpadaung Emergency Law

We would like to explain what is happening to us, Moe Thway (Generation Wave), Wai Lu and Wai Hmuu Thwin (Yangon People Service Network), in these days.

On 13 June 2013, Monywa court issued warrants to arrest the three of us under section 505(b) of the Penal Code. Lieutenant Khin Zaw Latt from Monywa Police Station 1 said he requested Monywa court to charge us with section 505(b) because of our comments about the Letpadaung copper mine case […]

Human Rights Defenders Under Attack in Burma’s Democratic Transition

This week, seven protesters were jailed, four villagers arrested and two social activists detained for protesting against the relocation of local communities in different areas of Burma. These events all took place in a broader context of judicial harassment and arrest of activists, especially those supporting farmers against land confiscation.

On 12 June, seven protesters were jailed, including three for one year and three months, for demonstrating without permission. The case started in August 2012 when U Sein Aung, U Aye Thein and U Win Swe Myint were arrested without warrant after staging a peaceful demonstration against streets vendors’ relocation in Mandalay. The three were charged under article 505 (b) of the Penal Code and Section 18 of the Peaceful Demonstration and Gathering Act. They were denied bail and spent 177 days in prison including two days in solitary confinement.

Earlier this week, around 100 police officers entered Kan Bae village around Inle Lake and arrested four villagers without warrant. The arrests come after locals, whose lands were confiscated due to a hotel zoning project, plowed the lands seized by the hotel developers. Following the arrests, locals fled the village in fear of further police intervention […]

Open Letter to President U Thein Sein on the Arbitrary Arrest, Incommunicado Detention and Unfair Trial of Human Rights Defenders and Peaceful Protesters

Your Excellency,

Burma Partnership, a regional democracy and human rights advocacy network, and Assistance Association for Political Prisoners – Burma, a political prisoner monitoring and advocacy group, along with the human rights organizations endorsing this letter, wish to draw your attention to the arbitrary arrest, prolonged incommunicado detention, and unfair trial of human rights defenders and peaceful protesters, most recently in Salingyi Township, Sagaing Region […]

Burma: Human Rights Groups Condemn Ongoing Crackdown on Protests and Peaceful Assemblies

Report Highlights Violations of Freedoms of Expression, Peaceful Assembly and Association

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), together with its member Human Rights Education Institute of Burma (HREIB), and Burma Partnership, called on the Burma government to respect the freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly and association […]

BURMA: Criminalization of Rights Defenders and Impunity for Police

The Asian Human Rights Commission condemns in the strongest terms the announcement of the commander of the Sagaing Region Police Force, Myanmar, that the police will arrest and charge eight human rights defenders whom it blames for inciting protests against the army-backed copper mine project at the Letpadaung Hills, in Monywa. The commission also condemns the latest round of needless police violence against demonstrators there […]