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Ten jailed for September 2007 protests

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Staff Reporter
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Aug 29, 2008 (DVB), Ten people, including Bogalay township National League for Democracy chairman U Aung Khin Bo, have been sentenced to 30 months' imprisonment for their involvement in public protests last September.

Aung Khin Bo was sentenced by Pyapon township court along with Bogalay NLD secretary U Maung Maung Chit, joint secretary Daw Mi Mi Sein, treasurer Daw Khin Lay, and organising committee members U Thet Tun and U Thein Tun, according to lawyer U Aung Thein.

The six were arrested after Bogalay township NLD members led by Aung Khin Bo held mass demonstrations last September against the rise in fuel and commodity prices.

They were charged with unlawful assembly and disturbing the public order under sections 143 and 505(b) of the penal code, and have been held in Pyapon prison since their detention.

Aung Thein said he would be working on an appeal against the judgment.

Four other activists, including one from Hinthada township, were also jailed for 30 months yesterday for their involvement in last September's demonstrations.

The other three, Ko Aung Moe Win, Ko Htay Win and Ko Kyi Then, were arrested after leading a demonstration in Laputta township on 3 September which was joined by more than 1000 people.

Reporting by Htet Aung Kyaw

Rangoon authorities collect monks' personal data

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Staff Reporter
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1

Aug 29, 2008 (DVB), Authorities in the four Dagon townships in Rangoon have begun collecting the full personal details of monks staying in local monasteries, according to residents.

There are hundreds of monasteries in the four townships, including Myin Chan and Ywar Ma lecturing monasteries, each of which houses hundreds of monks.

A local resident said it was usual for the authorities to collect the monks’ personal details every year, but this year they have been collecting more detailed information from each monk.

"Normally, a [government-nominated] Sangha leader would just sign a notification of the monks staying in the monastery for Buddhist lent and that would be it , but this year, they are collecting more thorough personal information," said the resident.

"They are making profiles of each monk with details such as where their families live and what they do and if they have any political background."

He claimed the process is also taking place in many townships across Rangoon including South Okkalapa, Tharkayta, Daw Pon and Shwe Pyi Thar.

Meanwhile, security has been tightened in Rangoon with military units circling the city in trucks late at night and troops patrolling the streets.

Rangoon residents have speculated that the increase in security is to prevent public demonstrations commemorating the one-year anniversary of last year’s September protests which ended in a violent crackdown.

Reporting by Aye Nai

Legal proceedings underway for monks and activists

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Staff Reporter
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2

Aug 29, 2008 (DVB), Prominent monk U Gambira, a fellow monk from Mandalay and comedian Zarganar were due to appear in court yesterday as legal proceedings continued against activists, according to defence lawyer U Aung Thein.

High-profile monk leader U Gambira's case was heard by a Kyimyintaing township judge, who set a date for his trial to begin on charges of religious defamation and disturbing the public order under sections 295(a) and 505(b) of the penal code and one other charge.

U Gambira and a monk from Mandalay named U Kathawla and Zarganar appeared in Insein prison special court yesterday.

Mandalay monk U Kathawla has been charged under the Unlawful Association Act, the press law, section 505(b) of the penal code and one other charge.

His next hearing will be on 4 September.

Comedian and activist Zarganar's court appointment, which was due to be held today, has been rescheduled for 4 September.

The next court hearing has also been set for the 88 generation student leaders, including Min Ko Naing and Ko May Aye, who appeared in court for the first time on 27 August.

Sources close to Insein prison said the student leaders will face numerous up to 35 different charges between them, and their court dates have been set for 2, 4 and 5 September.

The student leaders are also preparing to submit a legal demand to allow them not to be handcuffed during the legal proceedings and for their trial to be held in an open court.

Reporting by Aye Nai

NLD member attacked by robbers posing as officials

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Staff Reporter
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0

Aug 28, 2008 (DVB), Ko Maung Maung Lwin, a National League for Democracy member from Insein township, was robbed by three men claiming to be intelligence agents on 20 August while on a bus home.

The men told him that they were from the Criminal Investigation Department and pointed a knife at his abdomen and dragged him out of the bus and robbed him.

"I can still remember two of them. The person who was impersonating a police officer with a dark blue uniform was quite plump with a pointed nose and thick lips, aged about 30 to 35 and quite dark," Maung Maung Lwin said.

"The other one had fair skin, tall and thin with longish hair and a thin face, must have been about 28 or 29."

The men took a gold necklace, over 7000 kyat, an umbrella and a key chain.

The robbery was reported to Insein police station but there has been no progress made in the case.

Maung Maung Lwin said he did not know if the muggers were real or fake members of CID, but an NLD youth member speculated that they were likely to be members of the pro-junta Union Solidarity and Development Association or Swan Arr Shin.

"Everyone knows that as people are facing dire poverty and difficulties, they are increasingly committing crimes to find a way out," the youth member said.

"But this one is strange. They targeted this person because they knew that he was a political activist," he said.

"In this situation, the public and politicians have no protection from the government , making the criminals more daring."

The NLD youth member said he was concerned by the increasing brazenness of pro-government militias.

"They have been recruited and employed to harass people whenever there are events held by politicians," the youth member said.

"They get special rewards for doing it well and knowing this, they will become more daring," he continued.

"Now they are doing it to politicians and they will do to the people next. It is very worrying."

Reporting by Naw Say Phaw

NLD member sentenced after exposing corruption

By
Staff Reporter
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1

Aug 28, 2008 (DVB), A National League for Democracy member who has reported on government corruption cases in the past has been sentenced to 13 months' imprisonment on charges of obstructing a government official.

Tontay NLD member Ma Sandar was sentenced under sections 353 and 294 of the penal code for obstructing a public servant and obscenity.

The charges were brought against her by Tontay township deputy police sergeant Soe Win Aung in February.

The incident took place when two people who bought car batteries from Ma Sandar were stopped and questioned by police and intelligence agents, who then went to Ma Sandar's shop and got into an argument with her.

Ma Sandar's husband U Zaw Myint Tun said he believed the charges against her were politically motivated because she had reported cases of official corruption to senior authorities in the past.

Her daughter Theint Theint Thu agreed, saying that her mother had never broken any laws, but was working on behalf of the people.

"She reported the local authorities' corruption to senior officials to let general Than Shwe know about it and this was within the law," she said.

Other township residents also said Ma Sandar had been treated unfairly, citing the example of a man who had attacked the township deputy police chief and had only been given a 1000 kyat fine.

Reporting by Naw Say Phaw

Five NLD members arrested for peaceful protest

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Staff Reporter
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498

Aug 28, 2008 (DVB), At least five National League for Democracy members were arrested last night and taken to court today, the latest in a series of arrests of NLD members, according to party spokesperson U Nyan Win.

Hlaing Tharyar township NLD members U Tin Yu, U Kyaw San, U Soe Min and Daw Hla Hla Maw, and Kyimyintaing member U Yan Naing Tun were arrested at around midnight by the authorities and taken to Hlaing Tharyar township court today to face charges, U Nyan Win said.

A colleague of Yan Naing Tun confirmed the arrests.

"Last night, six people , the Hlaing Tharyar police commission and his team and members of Kyimyintaing special branch including Win Myint , came to arrest Ko Yan Naing Tun," he said.

"They are being tried at Hlaing Tharyar court."

Lawyer U Phoe Phyu said the five had been arrested for carrying out a peaceful demonstration.

"The reason [for their arrest] is that on 15 May they walked from Shwe Yin Aye bus stop to Nyaungdon road in a peaceful protest carrying banners reading 'Free Daw Aung San Suu Kyi'," he said.

The five are being tried alongside Ko Mee Thway, Ko Kyaw Soe Win, Ko Win Myint, Ko San Lwin, Ko Thant Myo and Ko Myo Kyaw Swe, who were arrested on 5 May for staging a demonstration demanding Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's release.

Phoe Phyu said the 11 people would all face the same charges.

"They are being charged under sections 143, 145, 152, 505 and 505(b) of the penal code for illegal assembly, resisting officials on duty, and disturbing the public order," he said.

All 11 were taken to Insein jail after appearing in court, Phoe Phyu said.

According to the NLD's Nyan Win, around 10 party members and activists have been arrested this month, including U Karkyinsi and his son on 14 August, seven visitors from Irrawaddy division to Rangoon including Ko Aung Kyaw and Ko Tin Aung on 7 August, and Dr Thet Lwin from Rangoon and another person on an unspecified date.

Nyan Win said the latest arrests were further evidence of the authorities' campaign of harassment against the NLD.

"The NLD has been persecuted from the start, that is nothing out of the ordinary," Nyan Win said.

"What is strange is that it has become more intense in recent days. They are speeding up the destruction of the NLD. That's all we can think."

Reporting by Htet Aung Kyaw

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