August 15-21, 2014

Ceasefire talks between government and armed ethnic groups advance

State-owned media

The Myanmar Times –  ‘Ethnic leaders want Suu Kyi in on ceasefire,’ 25 August 2014

• Ethnic armed groups declare that they want Daw Aung San Suu kyi, leader of the opposition, to oversee the signing of the nationwide ceasefire agreement between the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) and the Government Union Peace-making Work Committee.
• The groups met with Suu Kyi at her home on August 18 to discuss the negotiation of the peace process. 
• The NCCT asked Suu Kyi for advice on how to approach the election, how to solve the problem of the PR system, and how to use the signature campaign to amend section 436 of the constitution, according to Colonal Khun Okkar, secretary of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC.)
• The NCCT also proposed a list of third parties to participate in the signing of the agreement, including observers from the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, China, France, Norway and the United Nations.
• It is expected that the agreement will be finalised in October after furher discussion of a second draft in September. 

Private media

The Irrawaddy – ‘Burma govt. agrees to include federal system in ceasefire deal,’ 15 August 2014

• In a meeting between the ethnic groups NCCT and the government delegation on Friday, the government agreed to include a pledge for the country to be governed by a federal system in the nationwide ceasefire agreement.
• The adoption of a federal system with more autonomy for ethnic regions is one of the ethnic armed groups’ key demands for the peace negotiations, but NCCT chief Nai Hong Sar told press that Friday’s meeting was the first time that the government had firmly agreed to the demand. 
• Further dialogue intended to perfect the wording of the remainder of the draft agreement continued over the weekend. 

Arrests/detentions

Private media

Democratic Voice of Burma –‘Sintgu farmers clash with police in plough protest,’ 15 August 2014

• 40 police officers were briefly held captive on Thursday evening by residents of Sintgu Township who were angry with the police after they raided their village and injured residents in a bid to halt a plough protest.
• The police officers were released unharmed after negotiations with the residents.
• Earlier that day, 200 farmers had protested on farmland that they wished to reclaim from the government after it was taken from them in 1991 by the Burmese Army.
• Around 50 police officers attempted to arrest the protestors and eventually resorted to firing directly at the protestors. Two women were injured during the confrontation.
• ‘We were just cultivating land which we are fighting to reclaim, and the police arrived in a truck firing shots in the air… Later, they started shooting in our direction, hitting one villager in the leg. So we attacked them back using slingshots,’ said Htwe Htwe Hlaing, a resident of Sintgu camp. 
• However, Lt-Col Zaw Min Oo, a police officer at the scene, claimed that the police were attacked by the villagers first, which in turn prompted the police to shoot. He reiterated that the police did not use force when trying to stop the villagers. ‘We tried to explain to the villagers that what they were doing was against the law, and that they should follow legal procedures. But people only think about what they want without considering whether what they do is illegal or not.’

The Irrawaddy – ‘Bi Mon Te Nay Journalists denied bail,’ 15 August 2014

• Four journalists and one publisher of Bi Mon Te Nay weekly journal in Rangoon were denied bail in their fight against allegations of state sedition.
• They have been imprisoned in Insein Prison in Rangoon for one month after publishing an article that angered the government.
• Their request for bail was rejected as premature, as the police argued that witnesses had not yet been questioned.
• Aye Cho, a senior lawyer unrelated to the case, said bail is never granted to anyone charged under Article 505.
• The defendants were originally charged under the Emergency Provisions Act, but the charge was later changed to violation of Article 505 which carries a shorter maximum sentence of two years’ imprisonment or a fine.

The Irrawaddy – ‘One civilian killed after TNLA, Govt. troops clash,’ 18 August 2014

• After clashes between ethnic minority group Ta’and National Liberation Army (TNLA) and government troops on Monday, one civilian has been declared dead.
• TNLA spokesperson Mai Aie Kyaw claims that two civilians were fired upon in the area shortly after a clash took place in Namkham Township. Nyi Nai Jar was killed and Yai Tun Than was admitted to hosital in the border town of Muse, he claims, accusing the government’s Infantry Division 88 of killing the men.
• 10 casualties of the Burmese Army were reported in the clash.
• The Burmese Army continues to move troops in the area, while the ethnic Palaung armed group lays claim to, according to Mai Aie Kyaw
• The Burmese Army are continuing to move troops in the area, which the ethnic Palaung armed group lays claim to. Fighting has been less frequent in August than last month, when clashes were reported weekly.

Democratic Voice of Burma – ‘Farmers sentenced to eight months for Mandalay plough protest,’ 20 August 2014 

• Farmers from Sintgai Township were sentenced to eight months after they staged a plough protest in May. They were charged for trespassing and destroying property.
• The township court found 14 defendants guilty, and sentenced ten of them to eight months imprisonment, whilst the remaining four received four month terms and the charges of the 15th were dismissed because of a lack of evidence.
• The farmers’ lawyer, Thae Su Wai, is preparing to appeal the verdict.