Locals Defend Letpadaung Protesters Wanted by Police

[Zomi for Federalization and Democratization of Bur]

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There is no RULE of law in Burma. There is no democracy in Burma.
There are no human rights in Burma. There is no freedom in Burma.
There is no justice in Burma. There is only the law of the jungle in
Burma. If you are for democracy, you are hunted down. There is a new
form of dictatorship in Burma.
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Locals Defend Letpadaung Protesters Wanted by Police

By ZARNI MANN / THE IRRAWADDY| Thursday, June 6, 2013 |

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Photo:
Letpadaung.jpg

A copper mine excavation about 24 km (15 miles) from Monywa in Sagaing
Division. Farming families from 26 villages have lost land for the
Letpadaung copper mining project. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy)
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Locals are pledging to defend of a group of activists and farmers
wanted by the police after opposing the controversial Letpadaung
copper mine project in northwest Burma.

Police have threatened to forcibly enter towns and arrest 15 activists
and farmers if they do not appear in court after allegedly inciting
unrest between the public and the copper mine company.

In a notice posted on Tuesday near the mining area, the Sagaing
Division Police Office said a Shwebo District Court had already issued
a warrant for the arrest of the activists. The notice also threatened
to arrest any resident who hindered the police search or hid the
activists.

“We went to the authorities and explained that these people are just
helping us and they haven’t broken the law,” said a farmer from Tone
village. “We’ll protect them because we’re grateful to them.”

Another local resident, Min Min, agreed. “These people [the activists]
are not causing problems, as the authorities said in the notice.”

The activists themselves have rejected the notice. “We cannot accept
this,” said Han Win Aung, adding that the notice lacked an official
seal. He also criticized the police’s method of publicly posting
threats. “Distributing a notice like an ad or a flyer is nonsense.”

“If the authorities are really responsible for issuing this, we will
personally receive the warrant, which should mention what kind of
trial we will face,” he added. “This [notice] simply shows that there
is no rule of law here, and authorities are only protecting the mining
company so it can resume the mining process without disturbance.”

He urged the nation’s political leaders to step in.

“We are now trying to present this situation to the president and Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi,” he said, referring to the opposition leader with a
title of respect.

The Letpadaung copper mining project has displaced farming families in
26 villages from their land, with more than 7,000 acres confiscated.

Protests began last year against the project, which is a joint venture
between the Chinese Wanbao company and Burma’s military-owned Union of
Myanmar Economics Holdings.

The issue caught international attention in November after a police
crackdown injured more than 100 peaceful protesters, mostly Buddhist
monks.

A government team headed by Suu Kyi recommended earlier this year that
the mining project continue and farmers receive compensation for their
lost land, but some families have refused to take the money.

Aung Soe, an activist from the Rangoon Civic Society Network, was
recently sentenced to 18 months in prison after helping farmers near
the mine. Two other farmers from Hse Te village were also sentenced to
six months in prison for plowing their confiscated land.



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