Two Student Protesters in Myanmar’s Rakhine State Sentenced to Year in Prison
Anti-war protesters march in Sittwe, capital of Myanmar’s Rakhine state, in an Oct. 19, 2020 photo-Photo Courtesy: RFA
A court in Myanmar’s Rakhine state sentenced two anti-war student protesters to a year in jail on Wednesday, hurrying them from the courtroom before family members could see them or hear the court’s verdict, sources said on Thursday.
Kyaw Ye Thu, president of the Student Union of Pyay University, and Htet Aung, vice president of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABSFU), were convicted under Section 505(b) of Myanmar’s Penal Code and immediately sent to jail.
Previous court sessions had begun at 10:00, but proceedings on Wednesday began at 9:30, leaving the students no time to meet with family members, Kyaw Thu’s uncle Ashin Obatha told RFA’s Myanmar Service on Thursday.
“The court’s decision was announced earlier [than expected], and it appears they did this deliberately so that we couldn’t see them,” Ashin, a Buddhist monk, said. ”The police put them in jail immediately, and we went to the jail from the court, but the families couldn’t see them.”
“Only about five minutes was spent in the court,” added a supporter named Ko Paing. “We then followed the prison truck from the court to the jail, as we weren’t sure about their sentence.”
“When they arrived at the jail, they were pushed into the building as soon as they got off the truck,” Ko Paing said. “And when we shouted out to ask what their sentence was, the police shouted back ‘One year.’ Their parents weren’t allowed to see them.”
Lawyers representing the students said the trial had not been conducted in line with Article 366(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code, which calls for judgments in every trial to be pronounced in open court. Rights groups in Myanmar have criticized the lack of transparency in the country’s judiciary, calling it a form of oppression incompatible with Myanmar’s NLD-led government.
Usually, people know what the prison term will be when they hear the court’s decision, but no one heard it this time, so we didn’t know how long they would be in jail,” said defense attorney Phyu Phyu Win.
“We didn’t hear the prosecution’s charges, statements from the accused, any of the evidence presented against them, or any discussion of what law they may have violated. The trial was not held in line with Article 366(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code,” she said.
Sources say that charges under the code are often used to stifle political dissent by criminalizing the use of statements and report with the intent to induce soldiers to rebel or fail in their duties, or to induce someone to commit an offense against the state of disrupt public tranquility.
Each charge carries punishments of up to two years in jail, or a fine, or both.
‘Incompatible with democracy’
Rights groups have criticized the statute as incompatible with democracy, saying its provisions are vaguely written and could be used arbitrarily to restrict freedom of expression.
Continued use of courts and vague laws to stifle critics has been seen as a black mark on democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi’s five-year tenure as her country’s first civilian leader after five decades of harsh military rule. Voters gave her a second five-year term in general elections on Nov. 8.
Maung Saung Kha, a member of the youth-led Athan human rights watch group, said the students’ trial was like trialseld under Myanmar’s previous military government, adding that they had been charged under harsh laws only for a leafleting campaign and were “discriminated against” in various ways during their trial.
“It should never have been this way,” he said.
“We now have more political prisoners, because activists are being put into jails like chickens or birds,” said Thinzar Shunlei Yi from the Action Committee for Democracy Development said, adding that the numbers of those in jail will continue to grow “as long as students, Rakhine people, and other activists are treated unjustly.”
“These kinds of movements will not stop even if the authorities put them in jail,” she said.
On Oct. 19, four student protesters from the Rakhine Students Union were arrested in the Rakhine state capital Sittwe and charged under Section 505(b) for demanding an end to the war between Myanmar forces and the rebel Arakan Army (AA) that has raged in northern Rakhine and in the Paletwa township of neighboring Chin state since late 2018.
Another 14, most of them members of the ABFSU, were arrested in September, with around 30 others going into hiding to avoid arrest.
The students have staged anti-war demonstrations and stuck leaflets on utility poles in several cities since Sept. 10, including Myanmar’s second-largest city Mandalay, Pakokku in Magway region, and Monywa in Sagaing region.
Nearly 300 civilians have died in the conflict, while more than 640 have been injured and 220,000 people have been displaced from their homes.
Reported by Zarni Htun for RFA’s Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Richard Finney.
Botswana, which saw COVID-19 deaths surpass 300 this week, has lifted a ban on alcohol sales and eased curfew restrictions. But President Mokgweetsi Masisi extended an existing curfew
Armenia is in the midst of a political crisis amid calls for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian to step down. After top military officers called for him to resign, Pashinian described the move as “an attempted coup.”
The United Nations lead official for human rights called on Friday for a full and independent investigation of human rights abuses in northwest China’s Xinjiang region, where reports say over a million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities have been held in a vast network of internment camps since 2017
Christine Schraner Burgener, Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General on Myanmar, briefs the General Assembly on the situation in Myanmar at an informal meeting of the plenary
Hunger in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua has increased almost fourfold over the past two years – from 2.2 million people in 2018 to close to 8 million people in 2021
Botswana, which saw COVID-19 deaths surpass 300 this week, has lifted a ban on alcohol sales and eased curfew restrictions. But President Mokgweetsi Masisi extended an existing curfew
Posted on: Saturday, February 27, 2021 | By: crimeandmoreworld - Copy Editing Desk
The United Nations lead official for human rights called on Friday for a full and independent investigation of human rights abuses in northwest China’s Xinjiang region, where reports say over a million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities have been held in a vast network of internment camps since 2017
Posted on: Thursday, February 25, 2021 | By: crimeandmoreworld - Copy Editing Desk
The Catholic Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua, located in the very central Istiklal Caddesi, one of the most famous avenues in Istanbul, is currently in no danger of ending up on the real estate market as a private luxury building. In recent days, Sebahattin Gök has been arrested and brought to justice, the man who last year, thanks to a network of accomplices, organized a complex fraudulent operation to illegally gain possession of the largest church Catholic Istanbul in order to resell it to the highest bidder. Investigations into the case confirmed that the “gang” of Gök and his associates were specializing in real estate scams committed against ecclesial and religious communities as well as foreign owners or those belonging to ethnic minority groups
Posted on: | By: crimeandmoreworld - Copy Editing Desk
A young Uyghur man has been confirmed imprisoned after being forced to return to northwest China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) for the “crime” of having studied abroad in Egypt, according to official sources
Posted on: Wednesday, February 24, 2021 | By: crimeandmoreworld - News Desk
A man was arrested following acts of domestic violence and illegal possession of a weapon on 23 February in the municipality of Belmonte, in the district of Castelo Branco
28 February 2021 India Coronavirus Cases:11,096,731 Deaths:157,051 How to identify Fake News or Messages on Social Media
Beware of Fake News and Fake Messages on Social Media
Always follow websites or social media platforms of traditional media outlets whether newspapers, magazines,Television News Channels or Radio Stations and authentic online only media outlets.They still maintain journalism excellence and stress on reportorial talent.On the other hand, fake news websites run by people with non journalism background and promote their own ideology with fake news and disinformations and obviously conspiracy theories.
But unfortunately mainstream media also manipulates news to establish their story angle.There were various instances when News papers and TV Channels promoted fake news/conspiracy theories in the form of out of context or manipulated pictures/videos and distorted informations.
Always check the URL of any website.Some fake news websites look like the orginal and popular one the same layout,Logo but if you check the URL you may find extra words like if the orginal website's URL is www.xxx.com the duplicate one might be www.xxx.com.co or something like that so first check the URL for authentic informations.
Check whether photos are original or photoshopped.Check Google images for authenticity.You can find help from Google Reverse Images search.
Check the news sources from other websites whether they picked up the story or not.
Whether the website layout is little bit clumsy and obviously grammatical mistakes and spelling mistakes and excessive use of Sex related and sensational and hate stories.Because sex and hate sells.
Follow official websites relating to COVID-19
WHO Clarifies the disinformation about the virus:
COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in areas with hot and humid climates
Cold Weather and Snow can not kill the new coronavirus
Taking a Hot Bath Does Not Prevent COVID-19
COVID-19 Can not be transmitted through mosquito bites
Spraying alcohol or chlorine all over your body will not kill viruses that have already entered your body. Spraying such substances can be harmful to clothes or mucous membranes (i.e. eyes, mouth)
According to World Health Organization (WHO): Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water
Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth . If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early.
Stay at home if you begin to feel unwell, even with mild symptoms such as headache and slight runny nose, until you recover.
Follow WHO guidelines
www.who.int
When you follow COVID-19 related news and messages from social media then check and recheck it before consuming it.Follow journalism mantra: if your mother says she loves you, check it out.
Most of the messages or informations quote different organizations like WHO, UNICEF, UNDP,Cambridge University or other well known institutes,organizations or individual to authenticate the messeges.Check official websites of these organizations if stories are repeated there
Forwarding messages from unknown sources or little known sources, it would be better to ignore it.
Check whether any logo like UNICEF or WHO or other organizations used in the messages which look similar to original logo.
These type of messages are full of Grammatical mistakes and spelling mistakes which are quite uncommon in original messages.
Don't rely on viral social media messages such as Coronavirus Infected Indian Currencies of Rs.500 and Rs.2,000 Notes Found, Muslim Man Spit in Food At Indian Restaurant.....Always Check Authentic Sources.
Some fake messages pretend to be real one like unofficial Twitter handle of international media organizations like BBC,CNN,Washinton Post, New York Times-check the official Twitter handles of media outlets.
You can identify fake messages if the message requests you to share it.
Beware of Fake News or Fake Photos/Videos Relating to Communal Hatred
Always check the fact checking sites if you have some doubts about the authenticity of any information or picture.
www.boomlive.in
www.altnews.in
https://check4spam.com
https://smhoaxslayer.com
www.factchecker.in
www.allsides.com
www.factcheck.org
www.newsbusters.org
www.politifact.com
www.snopes.com
www.propublica.org
The Same Method Applies to You Tube Videos Check the Source the credibility of the Source.To Check Fake You Tube Videos Check and Recheck the sources. Does the person have the legal right to the video posted? Did that person capture the video? Whether it has been altered?
But due to advancement of technology we can not really wipe out fake news.According to experts advent of Artificial Intelligence(AI) some companies small or big one developing technologies that can lay digitally created script to anybody's voice even words,sentences never said by the person.Even they a.re developing a technology which can create fake video footage,images,audios like originals.So be cautious! Rumour-mongers are active everywhere whether in physical world or cyber world.
Without evidence or with fake evidence, a conspiracy theory will always remain a conspiracy theory.
For any further information relating to fake news and how-to search authentic informations from the internet write to us info@crimeandmoreworld.com or Whats App:+916289017966
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use. <br> To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: <a href="https://automattic.com/cookies"> Cookie Policy </a> more information
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy