{"id":4106,"date":"2015-03-11T11:10:39","date_gmt":"2015-03-11T04:40:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/equalitymyanmar.org\/new-eng\/?p=4106"},"modified":"2021-01-21T11:11:35","modified_gmt":"2021-01-21T04:41:35","slug":"request-for-urgent-appeal-to-the-government-of-myanmar-regarding-the-crackdown-on-student-protesters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/equalitymyanmar.org\/?p=4106","title":{"rendered":"Request for Urgent Appeal to the Government of Myanmar regarding the crackdown on student protesters"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dear Madam, Sirs,<\/p>\n

We are writing to follow up on the below letters regarding the Government of Myanmar\u2019s response to peaceful student protesters. The Government\u2019s response has significantly worsened over the past three days, and the levels of violence used against peaceful protesters has increased in severity, particularly today. We are highly concerned that such violations are rapidly spiralling out of control.<\/p>\n

On 6 March 2015, the President\u2019s Office posted on\u00a0their Facebook page a photo of Article 128 of the colonial-era 1898 Code of Criminal\u00a0Procedure,\u00a0which provides that the government can use civilian men to break up\u00a0assemblies (approved or otherwise) and \u201carrest\u201d or \u201cconfine\u201d participants.\u00a0We are highly concerned of reports that\u00a0\u201cSwan Ah Shin\u201d, a paramilitary group that was used by previous military\u00a0governments to quash protests such as during the 2007 \u201cSaffron\u00a0Revolution\u201d has\u00a0now been resurrected by the Government in a form to crush dissenting assemblies. \u201cSwan Ah Shin\u201d members are\u00a0sometimes identified by an armband with\u00a0the word \u201cduty\u201d on, but are otherwise\u00a0unidentified and allowed to act freely by the police.<\/p>\n

On 6 March, peaceful protesters outside City Hall, Yangon, were\u00a0seen being abused, such as by being placed in chokeholds, by either\u00a0plainclothes police\u00a0or \u201cSwan Ah Shin\u201d. On 8 March, plainclothes police or \u201cSwan Ah Shin\u201d broke\u00a0up\u00a0a peaceful assembly in Hmawbi Township due to it having not received prior approval.\u00a0The peaceful assembly of 20 students were protesting against police\u00a0violence towards\u00a0other student protesters, who themselves had not gained permission to assemble.\u00a0Similar plainclothes interventions occurred\u00a0in Sule Pagoda (5 March) and\u00a0Letpadan (6 March). At least three participants were arrested.<\/p>\n

Today, 10 March, 500 uniformed police responded with baton charges against peaceful student protesters in Letpadan who were attempting to exit through barbed wire that had been constructed by authorities to hold them inside a monastery. The students are being held in Letpadan, which is 120km from Yangon, to prevent them getting to the city of Yangon. The police used excessive force, beating and kicking students and others, including monks, who had fallen on the ground. Those students and participants that did not try to leave the monastery were captured inside and bound with ropes, with those who surrendered to the police being subjected to ill-treatment. The police also subjected media workers reporting on the protests to ill-treatment. The staff of two ambulances sent to help the wounded were reportedly subjected to ill-treatment too, and those injured inside the ambulances were subjected once again to further ill-treatment. There is information that 127 participants, including some journalists, were taken away in police transporters, but unclear as to what charges were brought, if any.<\/p>\n

We are highly concerned that such violations are beginning to spiral out of control. We urge you to call on the Government to:<\/p>\n