Jailing of activists, journalists on the rise

Despite President Thein Sein’s assertion on January 2 that all political prisoners in Myanmar had been freed as of the end of December 31, 2013 their number has increased and this disquieting trend is both accelerating and widening, according to the latest report from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).

The association’s summary for July, published online on August 7, urged the international community to pay close attention to the gap between the government’s rhetoric and its actions. An increasing number of protesters, dissidents, journalists and activists were jailed or charged last month, it said.

“Although the government solicits a liberalising, cooperative image on the international stage, removing the mask and analysing the domestic situation reveals the government’s continued authoritative and oppressive actions,” the association said, adding that “the global audiences’ ability to recognise this difference is crucial”.

 

‘Activist tortured’

As of the end of July, 70 political prisoners remained behind bars and another 114 faced prosecution, AAPP said. It said it had received evidence that at least one political prisoner had been tortured.

Thein Aung, coordinator of communications for the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society in Khin Oo Township, had “been tortured, beaten, and threatened by prison officials on a daily basis”, AAPP said. It was citing sources from within Shwebo prison where Thein Aung is serving a yearlong sentence for two convictions under Section 18 of the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Act. He is in shackles in solitary confinement at the prison, the AAPP said.

“Despite the continued rhetoric by the government regarding their commitment to the democratisation process, their actions [in July] continue to indicate their underlying prejudice towards maintaining power in an authoritative manner,” the report stressed.

It raised particular concern about declining media freedom, highlighting – among other cases – the 10-year jail sentences handed down last month against five staff of Unity journal, four reporters and its CEO, for a report on an alleged secret weapons factory. “Despite Parliament recently passing the New Media Law, the government has clamped down on the activities and freedoms of media professionals,” the report said. “The use of archaic laws against media professionals in an effort to silence them does not send a positive message to the populace regarding the current government’s commitment to freedom of expression,” it added.

 

Jail to settle land disputes

Bo Ky, joint secretary of AAPP – who was imprisoned twice by the previous military government for his pro-democracy activities – told Eleven Media that “most of those now imprisoned and facing legal action had protested against land-grabbing”. He said the number of land activists imprisoned or facing prosecution was rising.

“Hundreds of farmers have now either been indicted or are awaiting sentences in relation to disputes over land ownership, with the number increasing every month,” the report says, adding that this issue “should be of immediate concern”. 

On July 17, 24 farmers were sentenced to jail terms ranging from three months to five years, and 222 more have been charged, following a protest over a land dispute in Kantbalu Township in Sagaing State, the report notes. It said the charges include trespassing and causing damage, and committing mischief after the farmers’ ploughed land that had been confiscated by the military in 1997 and is currently being used as a sugarcane plantation.

Another 190 farmers were indicted for trespassing and cultivating land they say was seized from them by the military in the 90s by in Phrase Township, Kaya State, the report says.

 

Sentencing of anti-rape protesters

The report also highlights the disturbing case of eight Chin women’s rights activists facing fines or jail sentences for protesting against the alleged rape of a Chin woman by a soldier from the Tatmadaw. It notes that last month the women had been ordered to pay Ks 30,000 (US$30) fines or spend one month behind bars for organising unauthorised protests in June. The protests were in response to the alleged rape of a 55-year-old woman by a soldier from Light Infantry Battalion No 269.

“The recent sentencing of the eight women’s rights activists in Chin State exemplifies the government’s continued authoritative grip on power,” the AAPP said.

It noted that “in an effort to increase Western goodwill”, the government had recently signed the International Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict. “Yet, it has instead taken measures to silence the opposition and, in doing so, has persecuted the very people it is meant to protect,” the report says.