Ko Mya Aye
Encyclopedia
Mya Aye is one of the leaders of the 8888
generation pro-democracy student activists in Burma (Myanmar
). He was elected as the Politician of the Year 2006 by readers of the Burma Digest
.
He has led a campaign for a signature petition to release all political prisoner
s when most of the political leaders were imprisoned by the Myanmar Military Junta
, SPDC
, in order to silence their opposition. He took over all responsibilities after Min Ko Naing
, Pyone Cho, Min Za Ya, Htay Kywe
and Ko Ko Gyi were arrested.
. He was released in 1996 and still continued campaigning for democracy in Burma. He strongly believes in human rights and freedom. He was arrested again 2007 with fellow students leaders and sentenced for 65 years and 6 months imprisonment. His daughter Wai Hnin Pwint Thon
has followed his footsteps to bring change in Burma. She has campaigned for the release of political prisoners in Burma and freedom and democracy. Wai Hnin Pwint Thon based in London and studying her degree at university.
- the leaders of the opposition movement were arrested. On 2 October the remaining 88 Generation Students' group started the first-ever public campaign against the SPDC and gathered signatures for a petition calling for the release of political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi
.
More than half a million people signed the petition despite being harassed by SPDC Kyant Phuts and their thugs. The signatures were later presented to the UN. Following this they organized a "White Expression" campaign and requested that people wear white clothes to protest against the SPDC. It was continued until the 44th birthday of Min Ko Naing
on 18 October. On 29 October, they started a third campaign called the "Multi Religious Prayer Campaign" and requested that people again wear white clothing and hold candlelight vigil
s and prayers in temples, churches and mosques.
On 22 August 2007, a rare public protest over a sharp rise in fuel prices led to a wave of arrests by the Burmese junta. Those arrested included the senior leaders of the 88 Generation Students' group as well as members of other student and civil advocacy groups. Hundreds of demonstrators had taken to the streets to express their anger at the surprise increase in fuel prices. Natural gas prices have risen 500% and petrol and diesel prices have almost doubled, according to The Guardian
. The rise has hit poor labourers particularly hard, swallowing up to half of their daily income.
.
Min Ko Naing
, Ko Ko Gyi, Mya Aye, Pyone Cho, Jimmy and Yin Htun were among those from the 88 Generation Student group arrested. On 21 August 2007, 14 student leaders of the 88 Student Generation of Democracy were arrested.
The 14 members are Paw U Tun (also known as Min Ko Naing), Ko Ko Gyi, Pyone Cho (also known as Htay Win Aung), Min Zeyar, Mya Aye, Jimmy (Kyaw Min Yu), Zeya, Ant Bwe Kyaw, Kyaw Kyaw Htwe (Marki), Panneik Tun, Zaw Zaw Min, Thet Zaw, Nyan Lin Tun
and Ko Yin Htun. They were arrested by security officials and members of the state-backed Union Solidarity and Development Association
(USDA).
"Military intelligence and government intelligence seized their houses and searched their houses,” told another dissident, Htay Kywe, who escaped and fled to neighbouring Thailand. Despite the arrests, reports from Burma said that campaigners took to the streets again the following day to protest against the government’s recent increase in fuel prices.
No warrants
were produced for the arrests and according to an article published in the state-run newspaper New Light of Myanmar
, they will be charged under Law 5/96, which provides for up to 20 years in prison, for their involvement in “acts undermining the efforts to successfully carry out peaceful transfer of state power and facilitate the proceedings of the National Convention
.” Following the arrests, members of the security forces allegedly searched the homes of the afore-mentioned individuals and confiscated documents and compact discs. Reports claim that they were detained at Kyaikkasan Detention Centre before being transferred to the notorious Insein Prison
outside Yangon
where they may be at risk of torture, including beatings and electric shocks.
8888 Uprising
The 8888 Nationwide Popular Pro-Democracy Protests was a series of marches, demonstrations, protests, and riots in the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma...
generation pro-democracy student activists in Burma (Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
). He was elected as the Politician of the Year 2006 by readers of the Burma Digest
Burma Digest
The Burma Digest is a weekly bilingual online journal, published by the Democracy for Burma Alliance, a web-based campaign group set up by Burmese refugees and human rights activists worldwide. It features articles written both in English and Burmese....
.
He has led a campaign for a signature petition to release all political prisoner
Political prisoner
According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....
s when most of the political leaders were imprisoned by the Myanmar Military Junta
Military dictatorship
A military dictatorship is a form of government where in the political power resides with the military. It is similar but not identical to a stratocracy, a state ruled directly by the military....
, SPDC
State Peace and Development Council
The State Peace and Development Council was the official name of the military regime of Burma , which seized power in 1988. On 30 March 2011, Senior General Than Shwe signed a decree to officially dissolve the Council....
, in order to silence their opposition. He took over all responsibilities after Min Ko Naing
Min Ko Naing
Paw Oo Tun is the President of Universities Student Union of Burma and a leading democracy activist and dissident. He has spent the majority of the last 22 years imprisoned by the state for his opposition activities.-Biography:...
, Pyone Cho, Min Za Ya, Htay Kywe
Htay Kywe
Htay Kywe is a currently-imprisoned Burmese pro-democracy activist considered a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International. BBC News describes him as a key member of the 8888 Generation movement.-Background and role in 1988 protests:...
and Ko Ko Gyi were arrested.
Background of Mya Aye
Mya Aye is one of the leaders of 88 generation students group led by Min Ko Naing. He was first arrested in 1989 and sentenced for 8 years imprisonment because of his role as a prominent student leader in 1988 uprising8888 Uprising
The 8888 Nationwide Popular Pro-Democracy Protests was a series of marches, demonstrations, protests, and riots in the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma...
. He was released in 1996 and still continued campaigning for democracy in Burma. He strongly believes in human rights and freedom. He was arrested again 2007 with fellow students leaders and sentenced for 65 years and 6 months imprisonment. His daughter Wai Hnin Pwint Thon
Wai Hnin Pwint Thon
Wai Hnin Pwint Thon is a Burmese activist based in London. Wai Hnin was born in Rangoon, Burma and is the daughter of Mya Aye , one of the leaders of the 88 Generation student group in Burma.Throughout her life, Wai Hnin's father was imprisoned for political involvement, meeting him for the...
has followed his footsteps to bring change in Burma. She has campaigned for the release of political prisoners in Burma and freedom and democracy. Wai Hnin Pwint Thon based in London and studying her degree at university.
Background of the uprising
On 27 June 2006 - the 18th anniversary of the founding of the National League for DemocracyNational League for Democracy
The National League for Democracy is a Burmese political party founded on 27 September 1988. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi serves as its General Secretary. The party won a substantial parliamentary majority in the 1990 Burmese general election. However, the ruling military junta...
- the leaders of the opposition movement were arrested. On 2 October the remaining 88 Generation Students' group started the first-ever public campaign against the SPDC and gathered signatures for a petition calling for the release of political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi, AC is a Burmese opposition politician and the General Secretary of the National League for Democracy. In the 1990 general election, her National League for Democracy party won 59% of the national votes and 81% of the seats in Parliament. She had, however, already been detained...
.
More than half a million people signed the petition despite being harassed by SPDC Kyant Phuts and their thugs. The signatures were later presented to the UN. Following this they organized a "White Expression" campaign and requested that people wear white clothes to protest against the SPDC. It was continued until the 44th birthday of Min Ko Naing
Min Ko Naing
Paw Oo Tun is the President of Universities Student Union of Burma and a leading democracy activist and dissident. He has spent the majority of the last 22 years imprisoned by the state for his opposition activities.-Biography:...
on 18 October. On 29 October, they started a third campaign called the "Multi Religious Prayer Campaign" and requested that people again wear white clothing and hold candlelight vigil
Vigil
A vigil is a period of purposeful sleeplessness, an occasion for devotional watching, or an observance...
s and prayers in temples, churches and mosques.
On 22 August 2007, a rare public protest over a sharp rise in fuel prices led to a wave of arrests by the Burmese junta. Those arrested included the senior leaders of the 88 Generation Students' group as well as members of other student and civil advocacy groups. Hundreds of demonstrators had taken to the streets to express their anger at the surprise increase in fuel prices. Natural gas prices have risen 500% and petrol and diesel prices have almost doubled, according to The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
. The rise has hit poor labourers particularly hard, swallowing up to half of their daily income.
The 88 Generation Students' group involvement
The 88 Generation Students Group is an organisation synonymous with the long struggle for democracy in military-ruled Burma and take their name from a 1988 student-led uprising which was evenutally suppressed by the military. In a rare announcement in all state-run newspapers, the junta said that the dissidents were arrested for undermining the peace and security of the state, according to The Epoch TimesThe Epoch Times
The Epoch Times is a multi-language, international media organisation. As a newspaper, the Times has been publishing in Chinese since May 2000. It was founded in 1999 by supporters of the Falun Gong spiritual discipline....
.
Min Ko Naing
Min Ko Naing
Paw Oo Tun is the President of Universities Student Union of Burma and a leading democracy activist and dissident. He has spent the majority of the last 22 years imprisoned by the state for his opposition activities.-Biography:...
, Ko Ko Gyi, Mya Aye, Pyone Cho, Jimmy and Yin Htun were among those from the 88 Generation Student group arrested. On 21 August 2007, 14 student leaders of the 88 Student Generation of Democracy were arrested.
The 14 members are Paw U Tun (also known as Min Ko Naing), Ko Ko Gyi, Pyone Cho (also known as Htay Win Aung), Min Zeyar, Mya Aye, Jimmy (Kyaw Min Yu), Zeya, Ant Bwe Kyaw, Kyaw Kyaw Htwe (Marki), Panneik Tun, Zaw Zaw Min, Thet Zaw, Nyan Lin Tun
Nilar Thein
Nilar Thein is a Burmese democracy activist and political prisoner currently held at Thayet prison in Burma's Magway Region. Amnesty International considers her a prisoner of conscience.-8888 uprising and subsequent arrests:Nilar Thein is from Yangon, Burma...
and Ko Yin Htun. They were arrested by security officials and members of the state-backed Union Solidarity and Development Association
Union Solidarity and Development Association
The Union Solidarity and Development Association was a Burmese organisation formed by Myanmar's ruling military junta, the State Law and Order Restoration Council , on 15 September 1993. The USDA comprised 1 Headquarters, 17 State and Division Associations, 66 District Associations and 320...
(USDA).
"Military intelligence and government intelligence seized their houses and searched their houses,” told another dissident, Htay Kywe, who escaped and fled to neighbouring Thailand. Despite the arrests, reports from Burma said that campaigners took to the streets again the following day to protest against the government’s recent increase in fuel prices.
No warrants
Warrant (law)
Most often, the term warrant refers to a specific type of authorization; a writ issued by a competent officer, usually a judge or magistrate, which permits an otherwise illegal act that would violate individual rights and affords the person executing the writ protection from damages if the act is...
were produced for the arrests and according to an article published in the state-run newspaper New Light of Myanmar
New Light of Myanmar
The New Light of Myanmar is a government-owned newspaper published by the Ministry of Information and based in Yangon , Myanmar....
, they will be charged under Law 5/96, which provides for up to 20 years in prison, for their involvement in “acts undermining the efforts to successfully carry out peaceful transfer of state power and facilitate the proceedings of the National Convention
National Convention
During the French Revolution, the National Convention or Convention, in France, comprised the constitutional and legislative assembly which sat from 20 September 1792 to 26 October 1795 . It held executive power in France during the first years of the French First Republic...
.” Following the arrests, members of the security forces allegedly searched the homes of the afore-mentioned individuals and confiscated documents and compact discs. Reports claim that they were detained at Kyaikkasan Detention Centre before being transferred to the notorious Insein Prison
Insein Prison
Insein Prison is located in Yangon Division, near Yangon , the old capital of Myanmar. It is run by the military junta of Myanmar, the State Peace and Development Council, and used largely to repress political dissidents....
outside Yangon
Yangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
where they may be at risk of torture, including beatings and electric shocks.
External links
- BBC Report about Ko Mya Aye
- RFA Report about Ko Mya Aye
- DVB Report, by Aye Naing 88 students call for agreement on reforms
- http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/1173Front Line Human RightsHuman rightsHuman rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
Defenders] - Burma Digest