AAPP (2010) 10 Years On

Moe Aye was born in Mandalay in 1964 and was a student at the Rangoon Institute of Technology throughout the 1988 pro-democracy uprising. During the uprising he joined the All Burma Federation of Student Union (ABFSU). He later joined the youth wing of the National League for Democracy (NLD), becoming in-charge of information in Botahtaung Township. On the morning of August 9, 1988, the army shot at him while he was demonstrating nears the Shwe Dagon Pagoda in Rangoon.

He was arrested by Military Intelligence on November 7, 1990. Moe Aye was charged under Section 5(j) of the 1050 Emergency Provision Act and was sentenced to seven years imprisonment with hard labour. At the time of his arrest, he was working for the ABFSU and was also carrying out duties for the NLD youth.

While in Insein Special Prison Moe Aye met Mr.James Leander Nichols and learned how the honorary consul to four Scandinavian countries was being questioned and beaten by November 22, 1996, and due to the harsh condition in prison he had to seek intensive medical treatment. Some six months later Moe Aye left for Thailand and is now living there. He is a regular correspondent for Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), a radio station based in Oslo, and has articles regularly published in The Nation, a daily newspaper in Thailand.

Download: Ten Years On (315kb)

AAPP (2010) The Role of Political Prisoners in the National Reconciliation Process

NATIONAL RECONCILIATION AND POLITICAL PRISONERS

A genuine, inclusive process of national reconciliation is urgently needed to resolve the current conflicts and make progress towards peace and democracy. Political prisoners represent the struggle for democracy, human rights, equality and self-determination. A crucial first step in a
national reconciliation process is official recognition of ALL Burma’s 2,100 plus political prisoners, accompanied by their unconditional release. This is an essential part of trust-building between the military rulers, democratic forces, and wider society. In order for progress towards genuine national reconciliation and democratic transition to be sustainable, ordinary people across Burma must believe in the process. While activists remain in prison or continue to be arrested for voicing their political dissent, the people of Burma will have no trust in any political process proposed by the SPDC. There can be no national reconciliation or democratic transition in Burma, as long as there are political prisoners.
A brief history since 1947

ND-Burma quarterly Human Rights violations update (July – September, 2009)

Quarterly Report about the Human Rights situation in Burma from ND-Burma bulletins (1st July – 30th September 2009)

This report details;

  • The number of bulletins ND Burma has received during this period.
  • The type of information sent by organizations (to avoid creating an overlap of bulletins among ND Burma members)
  • The type of violations, committed by SPDC troops during this period.
  • The place where the violations occurred.
  • The dates when violations are occurring.
  • Information that may support an advocacy purpose (e.g. analyzing ND-Burma bulletins to look at the type and extent of taxation in Burma.)

Note: Please see the HTML file which is a summary report of ND-Burma bulletins. ND-Burma public bulletins also can be viewed on the ND-Burma website and Martus search engine.

From 1st July through to 30th September, ND-Burma collected 89 cases of Human Rights violations committed by the SPDC and inputted them into Martus software. The violations recorded contained the following categories;

  • Arbitrary/ illegal arrest/ detention (12 cases)
  • Arbitrary Taxation (38 cases)
  • Confiscation/ destruction of property (9 cases)
  • Disappearances (1 case)
  • Forced labor (15 cases)
  • Forced Prostitution (2 cases)
  • Forced Relocation (2 cases)
  • Human Trafficking (11 cases)
  • Killings (4 cases)
  • Obstruction of freedom of movement (10 cases)
  • Obstruction of freedom of expression/ Assembly (9 cases)
  • Other sexual violence (6 cases)
  • Rape (7 cases)
  • Torture, Inhumane or degrading treatment(14 cases)
  • Use of Child Soldiers (5 cases)

These violations occurred in Rangoon division, Mandalay division, Magwey division, Irrawaddy division, Pegu division , Tenasserim division, Karen state, Kayah (Karenni) state, Kachin state, Rakhaing (Arakan) state, Mon state and Chin state.

Note: One bulletin may include more than one category. The information documented by ND-Burma does not cover the whole Human Rights situation in Burma. Arbitrary Taxation is the most recorded violation, this is in part due to the fact that ND-Burma is currently focusing on collecting these violations for a report.

Graph 1, ND-Burma Quarterly Report, July-September, 2009

Number of Human Rights violations by State and Division

States and Divi- sions Arbi- trary Arrest/ Deten- tion Arbi- trary Taxa- tion Confis- cation/ Destruc- tion of Property Disapp- earance Forced Labour Forced Prosti-tution Forced Relo- cation Human Traffic- king Killings Obstruc- tion of Freedom of Move- ment Obstruc- tion of Free- dom of Expres- sion/ Assem- bly Other Sexual Viol- ence Rape Torture, Inhu- mane or degra- ding treat- ment Use of Child Soldier
Ran- goon Division 6 1 5 4 1 2
Man- dalay Division 1 1 1 2
Pegu Division 1 3
Magway Division 2 1 1 1 3
Irra- waddy Division 1 1 1
Tena- sserim Division 13 4 6 1 2 4
Mon State 1 13 2 4 1 1 3
Karen State 3 2 1 2
Kayah (Karenni State) 2 2 1 1
Kachin State 6 1 1
Chin State 1 1 1 1
Rakhaing (Arakan) State 6 1 1 1 1

Graph 2, ND-Burma Quarterly Report, July-Sept, 2009


The following example of Human Rights violation is taken from an interview with a witness, recorded on the ND-Burma database.

[blockquote]During an SPDC offensive against the Mon insurgent group, Rehmonnya, several women in Magyi village, Ye township were raped by soldiers. The Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM), a ND-Burma member organization, field worker was able to interview a person who witnessed the assaults on August 8th 2009.

“At about 11:00 am on August 8, when I went to the southern part of the sea to find some turtle eggs, I saw 3 young girls raped by 5 soldiers on a farm. The 3 young girls screamed for help, but no one was around. The 3 girls are around 20 to 25 [years old]. One girl was [gang] raped by 3 soldiers and the other 2 were raped once. I needed to hide in a bush because I had to make sure the soldiers did not see me. If they had seen me – I strongly can say they would have shot me. When they finished raping the girls the soldiers left. I think those solders were from the Navy troops that are based in A Daik village, Yebyu Township”.

Note: Mawyawaddy Navy Headquarter is operated by Major Khin Maung Oo. This incident occurred at a time when the navy troop was temporarily based near Magyi village, Khawza sub-township, Southern part of Ye township, Mon State. [/blockquote]

Arbitrary/Illegal Arrest/Detention

Arbitrary Taxation

Confiscation/Destruction of Property

Disappearance

Forced Labor

Forced Prostitution

Forced Relocation

Human Trafficking

Killings

Obstruction of Freedom of Movement

Obstruction of Freedom of Expression/ Assembly

Other Sexual Violence

Rape

Torture, Inhumane or degrading treatment

Use of Child Soldiers

Rangoon Division

6

1

5

4

1

2

Mandalay Divison

1

1

1

2

Pegu Division

1

3

Magwey Division

2

1

1

1

3

Irrawaddy Division

1

1

1

Tenasserim Division

13

4

6

1

2

4

Mon State

1

13

2

4

1

1

3

Karen State

3

2

1

2

Kayah (Karenni) State

2

2

1

1

Kachin State

6

1

1

Chin State

1

1

1

1

Rakhaing (Arakan) State

6

1

1

1

1

When did the violations occur?

No Month Year Bulletin (s)
1 Jan, Feb, Apr, May, June, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct. 2009 59
2 Jan, Feb, May, June, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec. 2008 22
3 Jan, Mar, May, Dec. 2007 6
4 Nov. 2006 1
5 Jan. 2004 1
Total Bulletins 89

Source. All the organizations that created the bulletins for this period used their own sources (primary sources, i.e. they interviewed victims and witnesses) and secondary sources as Narinjara, DVB, Kaladan News, RFA , Khonumthung News and Yoma 3.

Always on the Run: Internally Displaced People in Karen State

An estimated 540,000 people were internally displaced in eastern Burma, on the run, or living in forced Read more

Shoot on Sight

Shoot on Sight: The ongoing SPDC offensive against villagers in northern Karen State

The video details the horrendous situation that villagers in Toungoo, Nyaung Lay Bin and Muthraw Districts are facing and includes testimonies from villagers and prison porters affected by this offensive. Throughout this military campaign, which began in November 2005 and is still ongoing, villages have been shelled with mortars, looted and burnt to the ground.

Crops and food supplies have been destroyed. Burmese soldiers are ordered to shoot on sight regardless of whether it is a combatant or a defenseless civilian. As a result more than 27,000 people have been forced from their homes, either hiding in the jungle or trying to find refuge in Thailand. The Burmese army continues to increase its military presence in these areas and carry out attacks against villagers. Thousands of lives have been affected by this offensive and many have been lost – all valuable and irreplaceable.

The three actions that we are calling for are:

* For ASEAN, China and India to pressure the SPDC to stop the attacks in northern Karen State
* For Thailand to enable more humanitarian assistance to cross the Thai-Burma border into Burma, and for donor countries to support cross border work
* For a United Nations Security Council resolution on Burma

Flowers from Burma

“Growing poppies is not part of our traditional way of life. We grow them purely to support ourselves.” – Karenni farmer

Read more