Blog Elements – Page 311

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND CONCERNED ORGANIZATIONS CALL FOR ENDING 4 BURMESE ACTIVISTS EXECUTIONS

June 6, 2022/in Member statements, Press Releases and Statements

Myanmar’s junta has stated that it will execute a former lawmaker from Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, a prominent democracy activist and two civil society members in the country’s first judicial executions in the last few decades. A military panel sentenced four people, including former National League for Democracy (NLD) Member of Parliament Phyo Zeya […]

Weekly Update : 30 May – 5 June 2022

June 6, 2022/in HR Situation

#HRVs in Eastern Myanmar are depriving civilians of their humanity. As revealed last week in reports by @amnesty @HURFOM and @khrg, the incessant violence against innocent people by the military junta must end. Humanitarian aid needs to be permitted through trusted orgs & human rights defenders.

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND CONCERNED ORGANIZATIONS CALL FOR ENDING 4 BURMESE ACTIVISTS EXECUTIONS

June 6, 2022/in Member statements, Press Releases and Statements

Weekly Update : 30 May – 5 June 2022

June 6, 2022/in HR Situation

A military panel sentenced four people, including former National League for Democracy (NLD) Member of Parliament Phyo Zeya Thaw and democracy activist Kyaw Min Yu, better known as Ko Jimmy, for alleged “terrorism” while Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw are the other two who faced death sentenced earlier.

The four men did not receive a fair trial. “First of all, it’s not a fair trial because they lost their legal rights to defend at the military tribunal. They also lost their rights to legal counsel during the appeal process,” said Min Lwin Oo, a Myanmar legal expert based in Norway, adding that “Normally, the appeals process for death sentence takes up to three to five years through different courts and takes at least four to five years to go through state leaders. But such a fast-track process is unprecedented.”

“Two other men, who were convicted and sentenced to death for killing a woman they alleged was an informer for the junta in Yangon, will also be executed”, said Zaw Min Tun, adding that no date had been set for the executions.

If the executions go ahead, Phyo Zeya Thaw, Ko Jimmy, Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw will be the first political dissidents to be executed in the country in the last few decades.

Since last year’s coup, the military regime has handed down death sentences to 113 people for their roles in the armed resistance to the junta, according to VOA’s Burmese Service, but none of these sentences have been carried out.

The junta’s decision to “move towards executing two prominent political leaders will be like pouring gasoline on the fire of popular anti-military resistance in the country,” said Phil Robertson, a deputy director of U.S.-based Human Rights Watch.

At the United Nations on Friday, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said: “We are deeply troubled by the Myanmar military’s decision to proceed with the execution of two pro-democracy activists after they received death sentences. This is a blatant violation of the right to life, liberty, and security of person as per Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”

The junta accused Phyo Zeya Thaw of orchestrating several attacks on regime forces, including a gun attack on a commuter train in Yangon in August that killed five police officers.

A hip-hop pioneer whose subversive rhymes irked the previous junta, he was jailed in 2008 for founding an anti-junta youth activist organization and his leading role in Saffron Revolution, an anti- junta movement led by Buddhist monks. He was elected to parliament in the 2015 elections, which ushered in a transition to civilian rule.

Ko Jimmy, who rose to prominence during Myanmar’s 1988 student uprising against the country’s previous military regime, was arrested in October 2021. The arrest was based on an arrest warrant alleging he had incited unrest with his social media posts.

Nearly 16 months after the military launched its nationwide campaign of violence and terror in an attempt to illegally seize power, the military has killed over 2,000 people, including women and children and detained over 12,000.

Having so far failed to impose its rule over the territory and population, the military continues to intensify its cruel and brutal attacks against the people of Myanmar with indiscriminate airstrikes, shelling, massacres, burning down of villages, torture, and sexual and gender-based violence. In addition, the military continues to manipulate for military gain, impede or block humanitarian aid to over 880,000 displaced people across the country while attacking medical facilities and medical and humanitarian workers.

Despite the brutal violence, the Myanmar people have continued to resist the military, steadfastly demonstrating their courageous will and defense of their democracy.

Over 400,000 civil servants who have joined the Civil Disobedience Movement refuse to work under the military, while others carry out general strikes and street protests. Boycott of military products and refusal to pay electricity bills continues and self-defense forces and formation of new autonomous local administrations alongside the existing parallel administrations in ethnic areas mar the military’s desperate attempts to assert administrative and territorial control.

We, the following organizations and world citizens condemn the order of execution and call for Phyo Zeya Thaw, Ko Jimmy, Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw be given JUSTICE and respect before the law. We also call for the immediate release of all political prisoners, end of violence and for establishment of GENUINE PEACE and FEDERAL DEMOCRACY in Myanmar.

Action Against Myanmar Military Coup (Sydney)
Action Committee for Democracy Development (ACDD)
Ah Nah Podcast- Conversation with Myanmar
All Burma Democratic Face in New Zealand
All Burma Student Democratic Front – Australia Branch
All Young Burmese League (AYBL)
Alliance for FREE Burma Solidarity
Alternative Solutions for Rural Communities (ASORCOM)
ALTSEAN-Burma
Anti-Myanmar Dictatorship Movement
Anti-Myanmar Military Dictatorship Network (AMMDN)
Asia Pacific Solidarity Coalition
Asian Cultural Forum on Development (ACFOD)
Assistance Association for Political Prisoners
Association of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters
Athan – Freedom of Expression Activist Organization
Auckland Kachin Community (New Zealand)
Auckland Zomi Community (New Zealand)
Australia Burma Friendship Association, Northern Territory
Australia Karen Organization WA Inc.
Australia Myanmar Doctors, Nurses and Friends
Australia Myanmar Institute (AMI)
Australia Myanmar Youth Alliance (AMYA)
Australian Burmese Muslim Organisation
Australian Chin Community (Eastern Melbourne Inc)
Australian Karen Organisation (AKO)
Bamar Community Tasmania
Blood Money Campaign
Burma Action Ireland
Burma Campaign UK
Burma Human Rights Network
Burma Lawyers’ Council (BLC)
Burman Suomalaiset (Finland)
Burmese Community
Burmese Community Development Collaboration (BCDC)
Burmese Community Group (Manawatu, NZ)
Burmese Community Support Group (BCSG)
Burmese Friendship Association
Burmese Medical Association Australia (BMAA)
Burmese Rohingya Welfare Organisation – New Zealand
Burmese Women’s Union
Campaign for Popular Democracy (CPD), Thailand
Canberra Karen Association
Central European Institute of Asian Studies
Chin Community of Western Australia Inc.
Chin Community of Auckland
Chin Community SA
Chin Community Tasmania
Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO)
Chin Youth Organization
Community Resource Center (CRC)
Cross Cultural Foundation (CrCF)
CRPH & NUG Supporters Ireland
CRPH Funding Ireland
CRPH Support Group, Norway
CRPH/NUG Support Group Australia
Democracy for Burma
Democracy for Myanmar – Working Group (NZ)
Democracy, Peace and Women’s Organization
Educational Initiatives
Equality Myanmar
ETOs Watch Coalition (ETO = Extra Territorial Obligations)
European Karen Network (EKN)
Falam Community
Federal Myanmar Benevolence Group (NZ)
FEDEVI Argentina
Future Light Center
Future Thanlwin
German Solidarity with Myanmar Democracy eV
Global Myanmar Spring Revolution
Grass-root People
Human Rights Alert, Manipur
Human Rights and Development Foundation (HRDF)
Human Rights Educators Network
Human Rights Foundation of Monland
Human Rights Lawyers Association (HRLA)
Industrial Training Centre (ITC) Family Sydney
Info Birmanie
Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID)
Interfaith Youth Coalition on Aids in Myanmar (IYCA-Myanmar)
International Alliance of Inhabitants, Tunisia
Isaan Land Reform Network (ILRN)
Joint Action Committee for Democracy in Burma (JACDB)
Justice 4 Myanmar – Hope & Development
Justice For Myanmar
Kachin Association Australia
Kachin Association of Australia WA Inc.
Karen Community
Karen Human Rights Group
Karen Swedish Community (KSC)
Karen Women’s Organization
Karenni Civil Society Network
Karenni Federation of Australia
Karenni National Women’s Organization
Karenni/Kayah Community
Karenni Society New Zealand
Kayan Internally Displacement Supervising Committee (KIDSC)
Kayan Women’s Organization
Kayin Community Tasmania
Keng Tung Youth
Korea Democracy Foundation
Let’s Help Each Other
Loka Ahlinn
Matu Chin Community
Mekong Butterfly
Metta Campaign Mandalay
Mindat Chin Community NSW
Mindat Community
Mizo Community
Mon Families Group
Mon National Council
Montfort Social Institute
Muslim Youth Network
Myanmar Buddhist Community of South Australia
Myanmar Community Coffs Harbour (MCC)
Myanmar Democracy and Peace Committee (Australia)
Myanmar Democratic Force in Denmark
Myanmar Democratic Movement (MDM)
Myanmar Diaspora Group (Finland)
Myanmar Engineers – New Zealand
Myanmar Engineering Association of Australia (MEAA)
Myanmar Gonye (New Zealand)
Myanmar People Alliance (Shan State)
Myanmar People from Ireland
Myanmar People Residing in Canberra
Myanmar Professionals Association Australia (MPAA)
Myanmar Students’ Association Australia (MSAA)
Myanmar Students’ Union in New Zealand
Netherlands – Myanmar Solidarity Platform
Network for Human Rights Documentation Burma (ND-Burma)
New Zealand Doctors for NUG
New Zealand Karen Association
New Zealand Zo Community Inc.
NLD Solidarity Association (Australia)
Non-binary Thailand
Olive Organization
Overseas Mon Association. New Zealand
Peace and Culture Foundation
Peace and Human Rights Resource Center (PHRC)
Pa-O Women’s Union
Perth Myanmar Youth Network
Progressive Voice
Pro Rights Foundation
Patriotic War Veterans of Burma (PWVB)
Pridi Banomyong Institute
Pyithu Gonye (New Zealand)
Queensland Kachin Community (QKC)
Queensland Myanmar Youth Collective (QMYC)
Queensland Rohingya Community
Red Campaign Nirvana Exhortation Group
Remonya Association of WA (Mon Community)
EUMPUN Tjoet Njak Dien Yogyakaya – Indonesia
Rvwang Community Association New Zealand
Save and Care Organization for Ethnic Women at Border Areas
Save Myanmar Fundraising Group (New Zealand)
SEA Junction
Shan Community (New Zealand)
Shan MATA
Shape-sea
Shwe Youth Democratic Alliance (SYDA)
Sitt Nyein Pann Foundation
Southcare Medical Centre
Southern Youth Development Organization
Spirit in Education Movement (SEM)
Support for Myanmar
Swedish Burma Committee
Sydney Friends for Myanmar Unity
Synergy – Social Harmony Organization
Ta’ang Legal Aid
Tanintharyi MATA
Thai Action Committee for Democracy in Burma (TACDB)
Thai Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism
The Civil Coalition for Human Rights
The Institution of Professional Engineers Myanmar
The Rotary Peace Center at Chulalongkorn University
The Tunisia Human Rights League (THRL)
Thint Myat Lo Thu Myar Organization
Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA
Union for Civil Liberty (UCL)
United Myanmar Community of South Australia
Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of Victoria and Tasmania
US Campaign for Burma (USCB)
Victorian Burmese Care Community (VBCC)
Victorian Myanmar Youth
We Fair
WeMove
We Pledge CDM (Australia)
Western Australia Myanmar Democratic Network
Women Activists Myanmar (WAM)
Women Alliance Burma
Women Peace Network
Women’s League of Burma
Yadanar Foundation
Zo Community
Zomi Association Australia Inc.
Zomi Community Queensland
Zomi Community South Australia
Young People for Social Democracy Movement (YPD), Thailand
8888 Generation (New Zealand)

…

6 June 2022

Contact person:
Dr. Laddawan Tantivitayapitak    <drjobladdawan@gmail.com>
Boonthan T. Verawongse             <bverawongse9@gmail.com>
or                                                     <acfod.bangkok@gmail.com>