Kachin nationals arrested most for links with outlawed groups

Kachin nationals arrested most for links with outlawed groups

Published on Thursday, 12 September 2013 01:53

Since Myanmar's new government took office in 2010, more than 50 people have been arrested on suspicion of having links with unlawful organizations—most of them from the Kachin region, where severe clashes have occurred between government and Kachin troops, according to the Political Prisoners Assessment Committee (PPAC).

"When we enquired, we learned that many of those arrested under the Unlawful Association Act are from Kachin state. Now we don't have exact figures, but some said the arrests were made under other kinds of law. They are in the jails of Lashio, Hsipaw, Bhamo and Katha townships," PPAC's Ye Aung told The Daily Eleven.

Myint Aung, a member of the ex-Political Prisoners Group, said that those who were arrested for having links with ethnic armed groups that the government has listed as unlawful associations are usually regarded as political prisoners.

"Some ethnic people still have to hold arms because a proper political solution has yet to emerge. Clashes are bound to occur until that happens," he said.

The Unlawful Association Act was introduced during the parliamentary period before 1962, but most people have been punished under that law since then.

One private teacher who was jailed as a political prisoner on charges of contacting an unlawful organization recounted the reason he was arrested.

"My former students often visited my home before the 1988 democracy movement. They came to me to read books," Zaw Win told The Daily Eleven.

"After the movement, they did not show up. One day, a young man came and spent one night at my home. Two days later, army troops surrounded my home and arrested me. I was imprisoned under that unlawful association law. I was informed that my pupil was from ABSDF (All Burma Students Democratic Front)."

According to an elderly woman who lived in refugee camps along the Thai-Myanmar border for 30 years, most local people in Kayin state, where the Karen National Union (KNU) is stationed, have relatives who are KNU members and make frequent visits to the villages. The government army raided the Kayin villages to arrest KNU members. If they could not make arrests, they set fire to those villages, she said.   

Members of PPAC, which was formed in March this year, said the new government has released political prisoners in 10 amnesties but about 107 remain in jail.

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2013/09/12/kachin-nationals-arrested-most-for-links-with-outlawed-groups/