The Asian Human Rights Commission is deeply concerned about the situation of two Burmese student leaders who have recently been arrested after being fugitives for nearly 7 months. Kyaw Ko Ko and Lin Htet Naing both played a leading role during the student protest earlier this year, against a controversial national education law passed by the government in 2014. On 10 March 2015, police brutally cracked down on the protesting students in Letpadan, a town about 140km north of capital Yangon, leading to the arrests of many student protesters and their supporters.
Further demonstrations took place in Kamayut, Yangon, to condemn the March 10 crackdown by police, organised by the students who were absent in the earlier protest in Letpadan. Kyaw and Lin managed to escape when the police approached the area.
However, the police filed cases against the student leaders under sections 143, 145, 147, and 505(b) of the Burmese Penal Code in Kamayut Township Court and arrested several. The local court has issued arrest warrants on those who didn’t appear before the proceedings.
According to statements given to AHRC, the police in plain clothes arrested Kyaw Ko Ko, president of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU), near San Pya market in Thingangkun on 29 October 2015. He used a police officer’s cell phone to call a colleague and informed of his arrest, local media reported. Later, Kyaw’s family and friends tried to contact him but they were unsuccessful. There is no information available on whereabouts of the detainee were in last few days.
Meanwhile, Lin Htet Naing, student and senior member of ABFSU, was arrested when he was travelling in a bus in Yangon at around 3:30 PM local time on 3 November. He is the husband of a prominent student leader, Phyo Phyo Aung, who is also detained in Letpadan prison along with other protesters.
According to the latest information received, the victims were taken to Burma Special Branch Interrogation Center known as Aung Tha Pyay. They were interrogated over night and sent to the Insein Prison. The families and their advocate couldn’t visit them in Insein Prison. We are seriously concerned about the safety of the victims, as AHRC has documented numerous cases of torture and death reported during interrogations by Burmese officials (see here: Maung Chan Kun, Myo Myint Swe, U Than Htun). The AHRC urges the authorities to guarantee their safety and ensure to follow legal procedure when they have being detained in prison.
Today, 5 November 2015, the students were brought before the court for the first hearing and they were managed to communicate and meet their advocates for the first time. Next hearing is scheduled on 19 November. We believe this is yet another incident of arbitrary arrest on fabricated charges. Therefore we call on the authorities for the immediate release of the students who expressed their protest democratically.
