Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has updated lists of some of the monks, nuns and civilians who were arrested on charges of destroying and damaging places of worship, during the military-led crackdown on protestors in September 2007. Please refer to the lists (PDF) for more details.
CASE DETAILS:
List 1
Eighteen monks and nuns were detained in North and South Oakkalapa Township of Rangoon, on 28 September 2007, from Thitsatharapu Monastery, Hanthawadi Monastery, and South Oakkalapa. They have been charged with “destroying, damaging or defiling any place of worship, with the intention of thereby insulting the religion” and for acting maliciously to intentionally offend the religious beliefs of others, which carries a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment. All have been derobed and forced to revert to their civilian names, and will face trial on 7 February 2008.
Monks and nuns who are released are must complete and sign a form, whereby they are forced to admit having committing a crime. (To view the form, please go to http://campaigns.ahrchk.net/burmaprotests/pledgeform.pdf)
List 2
Furthermore, sixty-seven civilians were detained on 5 and 28 September 2007, of which a number have been charged under the Arms Act and the Emergency Provisions Act, with the intent to “spread false news, knowing or having reason to believe that it is not true” and “to alarm the people
in a way that would create panic amongst them”. A number have allegedly not had access to a lawyer or been able to meet family members whilst being held in custody for over three months.
The AHRC has also received incomplete lists of twelve monks who have either disappeared or have died, ten students who have been dismissed from the Sathana University and fifteen monks who are outside the country. Furthermore, the AHRC has received a list of fifty-seven monasteries that have been searched and destroyed by the authorities. Both Maggin Monastery in Thingankyun and Pago Monastery were forced to close.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The AHRC has closely followed and documented the internationally deplored protests in Burma of August and September 2007. More information on the protests, including statements and appeals can be found at the webpage: http://campaigns.ahrchk.net/burmaprotests/
Following the nationwide protests, the AHRC has issued numerous appeals of cases linked to the protests, including most recently that of Khin Sanda Win, a 23-year-old university student who was illegally detained and held at a special military camp (please see: UAC-022-2008).
In December the AHRC’s sister organisation issued a comprehensive report on Burma: “Burma, political psychosis and legal dementia“. The report contains a lengthy section on the protests.
For further general information on Burma see also the 2007 AHRC Human Rights Reportchapter on Burma, and visit the AHRC Burma homepage: http://burma.ahrchk.net.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please send a letter to the concerned domestic and international agencies to raise your concern over the alarming number of detainees held and charged following the nationwide protests in Burma. Please note that for the sake of this letter the country should be referred to by its official title of Myanmar rather than Burma, and Rangoon as Yangon.
The AHRC is writing a separate letter to the UN Working Group on arbitrary detention and Special Rapporteurs on Myanmar, on violence against women and on freedom of religion or belief, calling for intervention in these cases.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear __________,
MYANMAR: Monks, nuns and civilians still detained after nationwide disturbances in September 2007
I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the large number of persons that have been charged and detained since the nationwide protests in Myanmar in September 2007.
I am aware that among those detained, eighteen monks and nuns were taken from North and South Oakkalapa Township, of Yangon, on 28 September 2007, from Thitsatharapu Monastery, Hanthawadi Monastery, and South Oakkalapa. They have been charged with “destroying, damaging or defiling any place of worship…with the intention of thereby insulting the religion” under Penal Code Section 295 and for acting maliciously to intentionally offend the religious beliefs of others under Section 295A, which carries a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment. All have been derobed and forced to revert to their civilian names, and will face trial on 7 February 2008.
Furthermore, at least sixty-seven civilians, who were detained on 5 and 28 September 2007, of which a number have been charged under the Arms Act and Section 5J of the Emergency Provisions Act, which includes the intent to “spread false news, knowing or having reason to believe that it is not true” and “to alarm the people…in a way that would create panic amongst them”. A number have allegedly not had access to a lawyer or been able to meet family members whilst being held in custody for three months under Section 5J of the Emergency Provisions Act.
I am also aware that several students have been dismissed from Sathana University and a number of monks have been forced to go outside the country. Furthermore, it has come to my attention that there have been a large number of monasteries that have been searched and damaged by the authorities, whilst both Maggin Monastery in Thingankyun and Pago Monastery were forced to close.
In light of the above, I urge you to thoroughly investigate the alarming number of cases so far reported without delay, to conduct a complete review of the charges and trials of these persons and to release those held without charge at once. Furthermore, I urge you to ensure that each person is treated in accordance with domestic and international laws, and is brought before the courts within 24 hours or are immediately released. Lastly, I call for the granting of immediate access to all detainees by the ICRC, concerned United Nations agencies, lawyers and family members.
Yours sincerely,
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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Maj-Gen. Maung Oo
Minister for Home Affairs
Ministry of Home Affairs
Office No. 10
Naypyitaw
MYANMAR
Tel: +95 67 412 079/ 549 393/ 549 663
Fax: +951 549 663 / 549 208
2. Lt-Gen. Thein Sein
Prime Minister
c/o Ministry of Defence
Naypyitaw
MYANMAR
Tel: + 95 1 372 681
Fax: + 95 1 652 624
3. U Aung Toe
Chief Justice
Office of the Supreme Court
Office No. 24
Naypyitaw
MYANMAR
Tel: + 95 67 404 080/ 071/ 078/ 067 or + 95 1 372 145
Fax: + 95 67 404 059
4. U Aye Maung
Attorney General
Office of the Attorney General
Office No. 25
Naypyitaw
MYANMAR
Tel: +95 67 404 088/ 090/ 092/ 094/ 097
Fax: +95 67 404 146/ 106
5. Brig-Gen. Khin Yi
Director General
Myanmar Police Force
Ministry of Home Affairs
Office No. 10
Naypyitaw
MYANMAR
Tel: +95 67 412 079/ 549 393/ 549 663
Fax: +951 549 663 / 549 208
6. Mr. Patrick Vial
Head of Delegation
ICRC
No. 2 (C) – 5 Dr. Ba Han Lane
Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, 8th Mile
Mayangone Township
Yangon
MYANMAR
Tel: +951 662 613 / 664 524
Fax: +951 650 117
E-mail: yangon.yan@icrc.org
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrchk.org)
