The government of Myanmar violates the human rights of ethnic minority political opponents and activists in a myriad of ways, including torture and other illtreatment; discrimination on the basis of religion and ethnicity; unlawful killings; and arbitrary detention for short periods or imprisonment.

All of those detained or imprisoned were or remain among Myanmar’s large population of political prisoners (hovering around 2,100 prisoners) — detained because of their political, religious or other conscientiously held beliefs, ethnic origin, language, national or social origin, birth, or other status. Most are prisoners of conscience; they have expressed their beliefs peacefully.Many such political opponents and activists told Amnesty International that they faced government repression as part of a larger movement, as in Rakhine State during the 2007 Saffron Revolution, while others said that the authorities pursued them for specific actions, such as organizing a small anti-dam signature campaign in Kachin State.

Even relatively innocuous expressions of political dissent, as when Karenni youths were detained for floating small boats on a river with “No” (to the draft constitution) written on them, faced repression.

In view of Amnesty International’s findings, it recommends that the government of Myanmar, among other measures:

• Lift restrictions on freedom of association and assembly in the run-up to the elections, including by refraining from penalizing peaceful political activities.
• Release immediately and unconditionally all political prisoners arrested solely on the basis of their peaceful political activity, ethnicity, or religion.
• Remove restrictions on independent and objective media, including international journalists, to cover the campaigning and election process.

Read the full report here: Amnesty International

Related posts:

1. Political repression – S’pore govt responds to Canadian law firm
2. Certain ethnic groups marginalised by government policies, UN expert says
3. Amnesty Int’l calls for support for “peaceful activists”
4. Crisis in Myanmar and the responsibility to protect
5. Myanmar regime belongs in the dog house

HELP keep the voice of TOC alive!

If you like this article, please consider a small donation to help theonlinecitizen.com stay alive. We thank you for your kind assistance. (All donors' information will be kept confidential)