More than 150 civil society organisations have released a statement condemning Burma’s judiciary for handing down a two-year prison sentence to former child soldier Aung Ko Htwe.

Aye Thein argues that the NLD government is taking a sledgehammer approach to the issue of freedom of assembly in Burma.

Although a coalition of civil society organisations agrees with military-aligned parliamentarians in opposing proposed changes to Burma’s Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law, the CSOs say they have no plans to cooperate with those MPs in ongoing resistance to the amendments.

The draft bill has this week been sent to the Office of the Attorney General for ratification, before it is in turn passed on to the Union parliament for deliberation.

“The bill is not in line with either legal or democratic standards, nor with the stance of the NLD,” said Nyo Nyo Thin.

Hundreds of demonstrators gather in Yangon to protest proposed amendments to already contentious legislation that critics say would further curb the ability of citizens to publically assemble, as Parliament’s Upper House begins debate on the changes.