u thein sein government should drop the grave charges against mahn nyein maung (eng)
TRANSCRIPT
8/2/2019 U Thein Sein Government Should Drop the Grave Charges Against Mahn Nyein Maung (Eng)
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P.O Box 93, Mae Sot, Tak Province 63110, Thailand, e.mail: [email protected], web: www.aappb.org
P.O Box 93, Mae Sot, Tak Province 63110, Thailand
e.mail: [email protected] website: www.aappb.org
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U THEIN SEIN GOVERNMENT SHOULD DROP THE GRAVE CHARGES AGAINST MAHN NYEIN MAUNG
Statement
Date: March 9, 2012
Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma), AAPP-B, requests the U Thein Sein
government to drop the spurious and trumped-up charges recently brought against a prominent Karen
leader. Mahn Nyein Maung, a member of the Karen National Union Central Committee, is currently
under trial facing charges under High Treason (122/1 of the penal code) and the Unlawful Associations
Act (17/1). Both charges carry heavy sentences that are unwarranted in Mahn Nyein Maung’s case: High
Treason carries a sentence of life imprisonment and the death penalty and the Unlawful Associations
Act carries a sentence of 2 to 7 year imprisonment. The court will deliver its verdict on 13 March 2012.
The inflated charges against Mahn Nyein Maung are just the latest in a string of human rights
violations brought against him since his unlawful arrest in July 2011 while visiting China. In Kunming,
Yunnan Province, he was arrested by Chinese officials and deported back to Rangoon where he was
taken into custody. From July 2011 Mahn Nyein Maung was considered a victim of an enforced
disappearance. Urgent requests from his family members, colleagues, and loved ones as to his
whereabouts and safety went unheeded by state authorities. That Mahn Nyein Maung was cut off fromthe outside world and taken outside the protection of the law is a grievous human rights violation.
On September 27, 2011, Mahn Nyein Maung was sentenced to 6 months under section 13/1 of
the Immigration Act and Article 468 for having a forged travel document. On the 2nd
of February 2012,
Mahn Nyein Maung appeared in Insein Prison Court under renewed charges of High Treason and under
the Unlawful Association Act. This further sentencing of Mahn Nyein Maung has caused him “mental
torture” as he was told he would be granted his freedom as a peace offering if he aided in the ceasefire
negotiations with the Karen National Union. Though Mahn Nyein Maung agreed, the authorities
retracted on their word and cruelly punished him with additional charges. This treatment of Mahn Nyein
Maung infringes on his most fundamental rights as no human life should be subject to barter or have
their freedom compromised.
Currently, the government has undertaken positive steps towards national reconciliation by
offering peace talks, holding ceasefire meetings, and signing preliminary ceasefire agreements with
numerous ethnic armed groups. In the anniversary speech made by President U Thein Sein, the
President mentioned the importance of having an inclusive political process, national reconciliation and
constitutional amendments. Mutual recognition, respect and trust are urgently needed initial steps for
8/2/2019 U Thein Sein Government Should Drop the Grave Charges Against Mahn Nyein Maung (Eng)
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P.O Box 93, Mae Sot, Tak Province 63110, Thailand, e.mail: [email protected], web: www.aappb.org
the national reconciliation process. The President must now speak power to his words by dropping the
charges against Mahn Nyein Maung, and conferring upon him his basic rights as a human and detainee,
which include a right to a free and fair trial.
To create mutual recognition, respect and trust, the government should recognize the political
status of ethnic detainees and unconditionally release them, as well as erase their criminal records. We,members of AAPP, genuinely believe that the peace building process can be done smoothly and speedily
in doing so. Continuing to hold Mahn Nyein Maung behind bars and making false claims to the media
about his potential freedom is an act that seriously disrupts trust among the ethnic minorities and will
have a harmful impact on national reconciliation.
Furthermore, we, members of AAPP, request the U Thein Sein government to implement the
inclusive political process and national reconciliation process by unconditionally releasing political
prisoners still behind bars.
AAPP also urges the international community to convince the U Thein Sein government to drop
the serious charges brought against Mahn Nyein Maung, and ensure his trial proceeds in a way that
respects Mahn Nyein Maung’s rights as a detainee and is bounded by the rule of law. At a bare
minimum, Mahn Nyein Maung’s trial must take place in an open court, not in a prison.
The President still holds enormous influence on court proceedings in Burma. With enough
international pressure, there is still enough time to show President U Thein Sein that the manner in
which Mahn Nyein Maung is being treated is un-democratic and infringes upon his most basic universal
freedoms.
Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma)
For more information
Tate Naing (Secretary): +66 (0) 81 287 8751
Aung Khaing Min +66 (0) 88 420 4710