Blog Elements – Page 318

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Myanmar Must Turn Sorrow into Strength: Wife of Detained Activist

October 25, 2021/in News

Myanmar’s junta seized veteran political activist Ko Jimmy, also known as Kyaw Min Yu, a prominent 88 Generation Student leader, on Saturday night in Yangon for his anti-regime activism. Ko Jimmy, 52, sustained a severe head injury during the arrest at Pin Lon Hnin Si villa in North Dagon Township. His wife Daw Nilar Thein, […]

Air KBZ engineer dies in prison after being accused of tampering with passenger planes

October 22, 2021/in News

Min Min Soe’s father says his son was innocent and that Air KBZ had made ‘senseless accusations’ A man died in Yangon’s Insein Prison on Sunday after he was detained for allegedly tampering with three passenger planes owned by Air KBZ, where he worked as an avionic engineer. Min Min Soe, 34, was arrested on […]

Myanmar Must Turn Sorrow into Strength: Wife of Detained Activist

October 25, 2021/in News

Air KBZ engineer dies in prison after being accused of tampering with passenger planes

October 22, 2021/in News

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Myanmar Must Turn Sorrow into Strength: Wife of Detained Activist

October 25, 2021/in News

Myanmar’s junta seized veteran political activist Ko Jimmy, also known as Kyaw Min Yu, a prominent 88 Generation Student leader, on Saturday night in Yangon for his anti-regime activism.

Ko Jimmy, 52, sustained a severe head injury during the arrest at Pin Lon Hnin Si villa in North Dagon Township.

His wife Daw Nilar Thein, another leading 88 Generation Students figure who also took part in the 1988 pro-democracy movement as a university student, has been in hiding elsewhere for her anti-junta activism. She is worried about her husband’s health and says, “the regime must take all responsibility for whatever happens to him”.

Ko Jimmy has been evading arrest since February. The junta issued arrest warrants for him along with Ko Min Ko Naing, another prominent 88 Generation figure, and a few others on Feb. 13 for alleged incitement.

The junta has killed nearly 1,200 people, detained more than 9,000 others and tortured those in captivity and committed gross human rights violations against civilians resisting military rule.

The Irrawaddy spoke to Ma Nilar Thein, who was also a political prisoner under a previous military regime, about Ko Jimmy, her concerns and her message to those opposing the regime.

*Detained activist Ko Jimmy. / Daw Nilar Thein’s Facebook*

How much do you know about Ko Jimmy since his arrest?

I have heard that he is in Mingaladon Military Hospital. He is being watched.

Do you know about his head injury?

I’m not sure how he got his head injury.

You said two people escaped. What did they say about his arrest?

Two young people escaped while junta forces were breaking down the door. They do not know what happened after that. They said there were a lot of troops.

There was a rumor Ko Jimmy was arrested with weapons.

I do not know.

Why was he still in hiding in Yangon?

There are a lot of people in hiding in Yangon knowing they face arrest any day. People are in hiding, avoiding arrest and trying to keep anti-regime activities going.

It has been eight months. People in Yangon move around. We knew the risks when we joined the pro-democracy movement. We are doing our best. Not only people inside the country but those aboard are also fighting the dictatorship. People are doing different things in different ways.

It is important to try to stay safe while doing what you can. But we all know we are no longer safe anywhere. Some think it is safer in liberated areas [controlled by ethnic armed groups]. But people there are fleeing the war. They face different problems.

How worried are you about Ko Jimmy and yourself?

If we are arrested by the junta, we know we will be tortured and maybe killed as we have heard many stories over the past eight months. We are all worried about everyone in captivity.

Our concerns reduce slightly when we hear someone has arrived alive in prison. We are worried about him. We heard many things but we can’t confirm anything. I’m worried about him.

Does he have a lawyer?

No. We won’t hire any lawyer because we will not cooperate with those who arbitrarily arrest people, act with injustice and manipulate cases.

People are saddened by the arrest of Ko Jimmy. You have been involved in this revolution and been freed from detention. Would you like to share any message with the people?

Ko Jimmy has been arrested. Before that, our beloved and respected Generation Z, our other dear comrades and student unions members have been arrested in many places. There are deaths. We have to turn these sorrows into strength and we will continue to work to overthrow the dictator. The more we face such difficulties and pain, the more determined we are to work harder to overthrow this dictator.

Irrawaddy News

Air KBZ engineer dies in prison after being accused of tampering with passenger planes

October 22, 2021/in News

Min Min Soe’s father says his son was innocent and that Air KBZ had made ‘senseless accusations’

A man died in Yangon’s Insein Prison on Sunday after he was detained for allegedly tampering with three passenger planes owned by Air KBZ, where he worked as an avionic engineer.

Min Min Soe, 34, was arrested on September 11 and accused of being part of a group of people who put leaves into the planes’ pitot tubes, an act of sabotage that could have caused the planes to crash. The tubes are used to measure an aircraft’s speed at altitude.

The man’s family learned of his death on Monday when they travelled to the prison after hearing a rumour that he would be released as part of the junta’s amnesty.

Authorities told his father, Soe Paing, that he died while being treated at the prison hospital’s intensive care unit after fainting suddenly, and that he had high blood pressure at the time of death. Min Min Soe did not have any known health conditions.

“We were told that he died from heart and kidney conditions,” said Soe Paing, citing a statement given to him by the prison doctor and a prison officer.

The prison authorities also told him that Min Min Soe was treated on October 9 for “having spots on his lungs” but did not give any other details, Soe Paing added.

The family retrieved the body on Monday and cremated him at the Yay Way cemetery the following day. Soe Paing said there were no signs of abuse or torture on his body.

“He didn’t do anything wrong,” Soe Paing said. “They broke him psychologically.”

Min Min Soe worked for Air KBZ for 11 years (Supplied)

On the day of his arrest, Min Min Soe was invited to a meeting at an Air KBZ office and arrived to find soldiers waiting for him.

“He was lured there… we haven’t seen our son since he was taken to the interrogation center,” said Soe Paing.

Min Min Soe spent 24 days at the Aung Tha Pyay interrogation center in Yangon’s Mayangone Township before being transferred to Insein Prison on October 5. Air KBZ were uncommunicative and unhelpful throughout the family’s ordeal, Soe Paing said.

“The company does not even answer our calls sometimes. Everyone there keeps passing responsibility to each other,” he said.

On August 12 one of Air KBZ’s ATR 72-600 planes was grounded before its scheduled departure to Heho from Yangon after the leaves in the pitot tube were found during a pre-flight inspection, junta-controlled media reported.

A second ATR 72-600 was used for the flight instead, but had to turn back to Yangon after the autopilot system failed. Once it had landed it was found to also have leaves in its pitot tubes. The airline allocated a third plane for the journey but once again found leaves in the pitot tubes.

The September 24 report in junta-controlled media said that the leaves were put there by Thein Lin Htaik, a line maintenance manager for the airline, with the help of four other staff members under the directions of a janitor. The story did not mention Min Min Soe.

Up to 21 Air KBZ staff members, including Min Min Soe, were later detained at Insein Prison in connection to the case, Soe Paing said. Min Min Soe worked at the company for 11 years, he added.

Soe Paing blames Air KBZ for his son’s death, saying the airline displayed a “lack of responsibility.”

“Their senseless accusations cost him his life,” Soe Paing said.

Air KBZ could not be reached for comment on the case.

Myanmar Now News

Spring Revolution

Human Rights Situation weekly update (September 15 to 21, 2024)September 27, 2024 - 8:26 am
Human Rights Violations took place in States and Regions from Sep 15 to 21, 2024 Military Junta Troop launched airstrikes and dropped bombs in Sagaing Region, Mandalay Region, Shan State, Chin State, Rakhine State, and Kachin State from September 15th to 21st. The Military Junta committed arresting, occupying the properties, threatening by using power, and […]
Human Rights Situation weekly update (September 8 to 14, 2024)September 20, 2024 - 2:30 pm
Human Rights Violations took place in States and Regions from Sep 8 to 14, 2024 Military Junta Troop launched airstrikes and dropped bombs in the Magway Region, Shan State, Kachin State, and Rakhine State from September 8th to 14th. Military Junta arrested the civilians as human shields from Mindon Township, Magway Region, and Salingyi Township, […]
Human Rights Situation weekly update (September 1 to 7, 2024)September 13, 2024 - 5:08 pm
Human Rights Violations took place in States and Regions from Sep 1 to 7, 2024 Military Junta Troop launched airstrikes and dropped bombs in the Sagaing Region, Mandalay Region, Magway Region, and Shan State from September 1st to 7th. The Military Junta threatened that they would launch airstrikes on the townships which they lost. The […]

Multimedia

What is the Truth (Cartoon Animation)May 31, 2024 - 4:58 pm
What is Transitional Justice (Cartoon Animation)May 3, 2024 - 8:38 am
Close the SkyApril 11, 2024 - 7:45 am
Forced MarriageJanuary 9, 2024 - 2:12 pm

ND Burma

ND-Burma formed in 2004 in order to provide a way for Burma human rights organizations to collaborate on the human rights documentation process. The 13 ND-Burma member organizations seek to collectively use the truth of what communities in Burma have endured to advocate for justice for victims. ND-Burma trains local organizations in human rights documentation; coordinates members’ input into a common database using Martus, a secure open-source software; and engages in joint-advocacy campaigns.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

ND Burma

Recent Posts