Students prosecuted in Taungoo for protesting against education law

Six students from the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU) have been charged under Section 18 of the constitution for protesting against the National Education Law on November 29 in Taungoo, Bago Region.

“They charged us for violating Section 18. Police came to us at 7pm. They did not arrest us, but they wanted us to sign [their documents]. We did not. We said if we committed something, we are ready to be arrested. We said we would wait for until 10pm to be arrested. Otherwise, we would carry on what we were doing. Nothing has happened again yet,” said Aung Htet, a member of ABFSU in Taungoo on November 30. 

Approximately fifty students from big cities, including Yangon and Mandalay, conducted protests and gave speeches in Taungoo on November 29. 

Min Thwe Thit (joint secretary of the central committee of ABFSU), Aung Nay (ABFSU member, Meikhtila District), Aung Htet and Aung Khant (ABFSU members, Taungoo District), Myat Thu (ABFSU member, Myaungmya), and Min Min Zaw (ABFSU member, Maubin) were prosecuted for protesting without applying for permission. 

A total of nine people in Taungoo were charged under Section 18 for protesting against the National Education Law or assisting the protestors.