Lawlessness and disorder in Burma - Kyaw Zwa Moe We believe this.
- From: "labor" <labor@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2007 20:22:24 +0800
March 23, Irrawaddy- Lawlessness and disorder in Burma - Kyaw Zwa Moe
A man in Rangoon quarreled with his wife. Local authorities arrived and
took the man into custody. The following morning, he was dead.
This may sound hard to believe, but it happened last Sunday in Rangoon's
North Okkalapa Township.
Naing Oo was arrested by authorities -including members of the Union
Solidarity and Development Association-last Sunday after the 36-year-old
manual laborer argued with his wife in their home on the outskirts of the
former capital.
The next morning, Naing Oo's body was discovered by his brother, Min San,
in a Ward Peace and Development Council office. His body and face had
sustained serious injuries. In answer to Min San's question about what had
happened, the authorities answered: "He died of a cold."
The bloody wounds notwithstanding, Min San had seen no sign of illness in
his brother the previous day. But further inquiry was impossible. The rest
of Naing Oo's family was barred from seeing the body, and the USDA quickly
arranged for its cremation.
And the story ends here, after a man is murdered in custody and his family
are denied both an investigation and a trial.
Burma's ruling junta is notorious enough for its brutal behavior since
1988, when government soldiers gunned down thousands of pro-democracy
protesters on the streets of Rangoon. Since that time, Burmese have lived
in terror of the country's military intelligence apparatus, which operates
outside the law and can detain, interrogate, torture and imprison anyone
it chooses for any reason it chooses-particularly those suspected of
anti-government activities.
The fear of Burma's internal intelligence agency eased somewhat after the
ouster of former Prime Minister and military intelligence chief Gen Khin
Nyunt. But that fear is returning with the rise of government-backed
civilian organizations.
In recent years, the ruling junta has empowered local authorities and
civilian groups, such as Ward or Township Peace and Development Councils,
the USDA, the paramilitary group Pyithu Sawn Arr Shin and the Auxiliary
Fire Brigade. Members of the USDA and Pyithu Swan Arr Shin are believed to
have been involved in the attack on Suu Kyi and her entourage four years
ago in Depayin in Upper Burma.
Such groups operate with impunity, which suggests that they have been
empowered by the government to do the dirty work of the military regime.
Naing Oo's death illustrates the absence of the rule of law and a
legitimate justice system in Burma. His fate haunts many in the country,
who fear that their security-and their very lives-are always at stake,
whether they commit a crime or not.
Unfortunately, Naing Oo's story is not unique. In March 2006, 40-year-old
Thet Naing Oo was handcuffed and beaten to death in Rangoon after
quarreling with local authorities, including members of the Auxiliary Fire
Brigade.
Less than a year earlier, human rights activist Aung Hlaing Win, a member
of the National League for Democracy, died in custody during interrogation
by authorities. Neither case was investigated. No one was held responsible
for the murders.
Such incidents by government-backed organizations suggest that their
operational goals include spreading lawlessness and fear among Burmese,
especially political activists.
The attack on Suu Kyi in 2003-in which dozens of her supporters were
killed-shows that no one is beyond their reach.
And for all the junta's talk about a modern, developed and
discipline-flourishing democracy, the people of Rangoon know they live
their lives at the whim and fancy of government-sponsored thugs.
THIS REGIME IS SUPPOSE TO LOOK AFTER THE PEOPLE BUT IT IS KILLING THE PEOPLE
PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO OPPOSE THEM.. THEY DONT WANT TO SERVE THE PEOPLE BUT
RATHER THEY WANT THE PEOPLE TO SERVE THEM. THIS IS A WORTH REGIME WHO HAS
STOLEN POWER FROM THE PEOPLE.
.
- Follow-Ups:
- Prev by Date: A little bit extra for Independent Individualist.
- Next by Date: We are over-50s or over-60s, so we need regular medical check-ups !!!
- Previous by thread: A little bit extra for Independent Individualist.
- Next by thread: Re: Lawlessness and disorder in Burma - Kyaw Zwa Moe We believe this.
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
