Fighting spirit lives on

Any father would be frightened to death if jail sentences keep piling up.

That is not the case for land rights activist and anti-government crusader Htin Kyaw, a father of three, who vows to fight on despite jail sentences delivered by courts in 11 townships in Yangon.

 Nor, is it the case of his wife, Than Than Maw, 42.

“Before 2007, he was involved with underground activities. In 2007, he opted to fight for the public, starting with high commodity prices in the country. He sacrificed himself even though he knew that he faced arrest,” Than Than Maw told Myanmar Eleven. 

Locked up in prison, Htin Kyaw still speaks to the public, through his wife. 

Than Than Maw sees her role as a channel for bringing his messages to reporters as often as possible. She admitted that the family survives through support of local people, who understand the activist’s hardship.

Htin Kyaw started his life as a human rights defender with the establishment of the Myanmar Development Committee (MDC) in February 2007. Its main target then was commodity prices. MDC was transformed into Movement for Democracy Current Forces (MDCF) in February 2012. Notably, both community-based organisations are not registered under the Association Law of Myanmar. 

According to Than Than Maw, Htin Kyaw staged four protests in 2007, as the military junta raised fuel prices massively that year. He was interrogated and at one time met former National Police Chief Major General Khin Ye. He and asked him to make public well being the priority.

His first arrest occurred on August 25, 2007, a month before the Saffron Revolution – a series of protests throughout the country against the State Peace and Development Council’s policy to remove fuel subsidies. End of the subsidies caused the price of diesel and petrol to surge as much as 66 per cent in less than a week.

Htin Kyaw was undeterred by his first arrest. Instead, his interests expanded to other areas, including healthcare, education and religious freedom.

Under his leadership, MDCF has 17 goals: 1) reducing commodity prices, 2) access to electricity, 3) reducing unemployment, 4) ensuring full salaries are paid, 5) improving conditions in prisons, 6) free education, 7) education freedom, 8) free mobility, 9) free trade, 10) a free healthcare system, 11) ending corruption, 12) ending gambling, 13) ending unfair taxation, 14) ending government suppression, 15) children’s protection, 16) senior citizens’ protection, and 17) ensuring basic needs are met. 

His first sentence on November 17, 2008 was a 12 year and six month jail term. He was released under an amnesty in January 2012. He continued his activism and was re-arrested in August 2013 for organising protests against land grabs.

The latest sentence was delivered by Shwepyithar Township Court last week – a two-year jail term for violating Section 505 (b) of the Penal Code, which makes it illegal to distribute information aimed at instigating the public.

Prior to that, courts in 10 different townships handed him combined jail terms of nine years and four months. The courts, including those in South Okkalapa Township, North Dagon Township, South Dagon Township, Thingangyun Township, Mayangone Township, Hlaingtharyar Township, Kyauktada Township, Bahan Township and Dagon Seikkan Township, ruled that he violated Section 505 (b) of the Penal Code as well as Section 18 of Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law. 

“He only knows what he has to do. He doesn’t care about any risk or unsafe conditions. He is just like Hantharwady U Win Tin, who was a very zealous person with a mission. He asks the public to support activists,” one of his followers, Kyaw Lwin, said. 

Despite the lengthy verdicts, Htin Kyaw did not blame the judicial system. 

“The important thing is that we need a good government and transparent Parliament to handle the distorted judicial pillar,” he told Myanmar Eleven at the Shwepyithar Township Court last week.

He appears determined to fight on, until government members give up what he describes as their illegal efforts to protect their position, power and wealth. 

He is famous among his followers for the “three-finger” salute, adopted by the activist in defiance of dictatorship. The three fingers represent the administrative, legislative and judicial branches. Without proper checks and balances, the country remains under the rule of a dictatorship, he said.