Despite Reforms, Burma Still Sends Activist to Jail

"Last month one of the country"

Myanmar has been praised by the international community for releasing political prisoners.

But just last month one of the country’s leading human rights activists was sentenced to two years in jail for protesting against land grabbing.

Naw Ohn Hla joined locals to demonstrate against the Latpadaung Copper mine in northern Burma.

The mine is a joint project between a Chinese company and a business owned by the Burmese military.

Hundreds of villagers have been forced to move and over seven thousands acres of farmland have been confiscated to make way for the mine.

The President appointed a commission, headed by Aung San SuuKyi, to investigate the mine and a brutal crackdown against the protestors last November.

The commission found that the project should continue.

But Naw Ohn Hla vowed to intensify their protests.

“We do not agree with the recommendation of the Inquiry Commission because it is not in line with local people.”

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After a tense stand-off police arrested Naw Ohn Hla along with 9 other protestors.

She was found guilty of sedition and sentenced to two years in jail.

Naw Ohn Hla’s lawyer was barred from the courtroom during the trial and he denounced the verdict as unjust.

Tate Naing from a political prisoners group says her detention is unfair.

“Throughout history, this so called article 505(b) is just a tool for arbitrary arrest and imprisonment against activists.”

Naw Ohn Hla has spent her life campaigning for human rights and democracy and she has been imprisoned 7 times.

In 2004 she set up weekly Tuesday Prayer Groups at Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon, they would meet to pray for the release of Aung San SuuKyi from house arrest.

Then in 2010 she was sentenced to two years in jail for sedition, while leaving a Buddhist pagoda.

Daw Shan Ma is a friend of Naw Ohn Hla's.

“ We are aware that she is now in Insein Prison. It is very ugly that she was arrested from her visit to a monastery to offer some food for monks.”

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Naw Ohn Hla was released two years ago in a presidential amnesty.

She then continued to demand all remaining political prisoners be released.

“The government always says there are no political prisoners. And the amnesty reduced the sentences by only one year, it is nonsense. It’s not worth calling it a presidential amnesty. So we are organising a signature campaign for the release of all remaining political prisoners.”

Her lawyer says the activist is now on hunger strike in jail and has been transferred to a prison with medical facilities.

U Htwe is the chief of Monywa prison.

“Here we do not have a prison-hospital. So if her health goes downhill, we may have problems here. But the Mandalay prison has its hospital, more doctors and better facilities.”

Naw Ohn Hla hopes to appeal by the end of the month.

But her sentence suggests that although the government is willing to offer some new freedoms, it still retains absolute power.

And it’s a stark reminder that those new freedoms can be snatch away at any time.

• Burma
• political prisoners
• reformation
• DVB