Government Charged 3 Student Protesters with Natural Disaster Administrative Law in Rakhine State, Myanmar

 

Rakhine students protesting in front of the police station in Sittway on September 10.

AN. Sittway. September 11, 2020

State prosecutor charged three student protesters with ‘natural disaster administrative law’ before the court in Sittway yesterday.

 

The student leaders, Ko Kyaw Htay, Ko Kyaw Lun, and Ko Than Naing, protested in front of the state government house on Wednesday and called on the government to stop civilian casualty and reinstate internet services in Rakhine and Chin States.

The protesters were apprehended and detained by the city police shortly after they rallied in downtown.

 

The detainees appeared before the court yesterday and given remand for further interrogation by the police.

 

The natural disaster administrative law can imprison the students for three years if found guilty.

 

Six of their colleagues gathered in front of the police station yesterday and urged the police to release the students.

 

Similar protest was taken in Mandalay yesterday. Dozens of students from All Burma Student Union marched on the road and chanted to end civil war and restore internet services in Rakhine and Chin States. They also demanded to release the detaining students in Sittway.

 

Ko Bon Paype Phyo, vice chair of Arakan Student Union, who led the protest in front the police station told local media the charge against the three student protesters is not fair.

 

He said the government uses the unrelated law against the peaceful protesters and intents to oppress the students. He pointed out the protestors are peacefully expressing their opinions when civilians are killed and injured in Rakhine State, and said, “It is the time of democracy transition and the citizens have rights to repress their opinion when the government and military are wrong doing.”

But Rakhine state government never tolerates the protestors. Police opened fired and killed 7 protesters and 12 other wounded in Mrauk U in 2019.