Press Conference of the Day: A press conference was held in Yangon this morning by the Coordination Committee of Civil Society Forum on Myanmars Transition. Issues discussed were legal reform, rule of law and the land use policy. Ko Sithu said that the land use policy has caused serious impacts on the lives and livelihoods of local farmers and ethnic communities as it is in favor of business investment than to protect the benefit of farmers and local/ethnic communities and that there are many cases in remote areas where farmers and local communities are facing serious human rights violations including death threat, arrest, torture and court trials. Ma Thenni Oo shared their field observations on the Letpadaung situation and killing of Daw Khin Win and raised their concerns over the situation including the governments investigation commissions partial and interrogation-like behavior and attitude towards local witnesses in conducting interviews. The speakers also addressed their concerns over the challenges that not only the vulnerable communities like farmers face BUT also human rights activists and rights-based civil society groups are facing, such as survillance, intimidation and threats in doing human rights work. In addition, Ma May Sabae Phyu and Ma Khin Lay also debriefed the media about their meeting yesterday with the US Govt Delegation led by the Assistant Secretary of State on Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Mr. Tom Malinowski, ahead of the US-Myanmar Human Rights Dialogue taking place in Naypyitaw today and tomorrow. U Aung Myo Min raised the point that the government SHOULD NOT perceive the activists and rights based civil society as enemy of the State if the government is truly for democracy!
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 10:04:15 +0000
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