Election officials censor parties’ campaign speeches ‘like the dictatorship did’

Two parties have cancelled their broadcasts in protest after election commission cut parts of their speeches

Published on Sep 24, 2020

A man walks past a party campaign sign board in Sittwe on September 23 (Phadu Tun Aung/Myanmar Now)

Election officials have censored political parties’ televised campaign speeches, leading two parties to boycott the broadcasts while others said authorities were acting like the former dictatorship.

Thar Tun Hla, chair of the Arakan National Party (ANP), said he had planned to say in the speech he recorded on Tuesday that the Rakhine public was uninterested in the election because of the conflict there and the Covid-19 pandemic.

But the Union Election Commission (UEC) forced him to remove that line, he said.

MRTV is broadcasting 15-minute speeches from different political parties until November 6. Under campaign broadcast rules, parties must submit scripts of their speeches to the UEC for approval.

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Another section of the ANP speech that was cut said the party was unable to form a state government after the 2015 election because of restrictions imposed by the 2008 constitution.

The commission also changed the phrase “civil war” to

“armed conflict” and “internal conflict” in the speech, which was broadcast on MRTV on Thursday.

“To be honest, I think the restrictions are harsher than they were in 2010 and 2015,” Thar Tun Hla said. “This current commission, under the current civilian government, seems to lean more towards stricter guidelines, rather than allowing for flexibility,” he said.

He agreed to record the speech despite the censorship because restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of Covid-19 have made it difficult to campaign, he said.

Two parties have cancelled their election broadcasts in protest against the censorship.

The Democratic Party for a New Society (DPNS) said the commission banned it from mentioning the controversial Letpadaung copper mine project as well as land rights issues in Malettoh village in Ayeyarwady.

The National Democratic Force (NDF) party was banned from referring to the NLD’s dominance of parliament as a one-party system and from calling for proportional representation.

The commission also cut a line from the speech that said: “We won’t be hanging on in parliament if the public doesn’t like us.”

DPNS chair Aung Moe Zaw and NDF chair Thein Nyunt said the cuts were a violation of free campaigning and boycotted the broadcasts.

Arakan League for Democracy (ALD) general secretary Myo Kyaw said he was also forced to cut parts of his speech. “This censorship seems like something the dictatorship did,” he said.

“They shouldn’t mess with the party’s tone. Shouldn’t there be freedom of expression? As a political party, we should be able to express our opinions and beliefs.”

He agreed to record the censored speech, which will be broadcast on MRTV on October 1, because it was still a good opportunity to promote the party’s policies, he said.

UEC spokesperson Myint Naing could not be reached for comment.

Phadu Tun Aung

Phadu Tun Aung is Reporter with Myanmar Now. He is based in Sittwe, Rakhine State.

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Judge limits length of Suu Kyi trial to 180 days

According to a timeline announced on Monday, verdicts in the cases against the state counsellor must be reached by mid-August

Myanmar Now

Published on Jun 7, 2021

Detained state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, president Win Myint and Naypyitaw Council chair Myo Aung are seen at a court hearing in Naypyitaw on May 24. (State Media)

The ongoing trial against state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi must be completed within 180 days, a judge in Naypyitaw declared on Monday.

Zabuthiri Township judge Maung Maung Lwin made the remark during Suu Kyi’s second in-person hearing since she and members of her cabinet were first charged on February 16.

Suu Kyi, who is 75, faces a total of six charges—five in Naypyitaw and one in Yangon—and a prison sentence of up to 26 years. She has been in military custody since her government was ousted from power in a coup on February 1.

The timeline announced on Monday applies to the cases being tried in Naypyitaw and means that the court there will have to issue its verdicts before the middle of August.

Monday’s hearing was held at an “exclusive court” specially designed for the trials of Suu Kyi and two other detained cabinet members—president Win Myint and Myo Aung, the chair of the Naypyitaw Council.

Starting next week, hearings will take place every Monday and Tuesday, with the court completing its questioning of the plaintiff by June 28, the judge said at the hearing.

Suu Kyi has been accused of incitement and violating the Official Secrets Act and the Telecommunications Law. She has also been charged with illegally importing walkie-talkies and faces two charges of breaching Covid-19 protocols during last year’s election campaign.

Hearings for the incitement case will take place every Monday together with Win Myint and Myo Aung, who are being tried for the same offence, according to lawyer Khin Maung Zaw, the head of her defence team.

Suu Kyi learned for the first time on Monday that the Supreme Court in Naypyitaw had taken over the case filed against her under the Official Secrets Act, her lawyer said.

That case, which also applies to three of her cabinet ministers and her economic advisor Sean Turnell, was originally filed at the Yangon Eastern District Court in late March.

The Supreme Court announced on May 31 that the next hearing in the case would be held on June 23. It also stated that the defendants would be representing themselves.

However, her lawyer said that these decisions were made without Suu Kyi’s consent.

“She said she didn’t know about the changes. She also didn’t say she would represent herself. She wants her lawyers to represent her in all of her cases,” Khin Maung Zaw told Myanmar Now.

Before the hour-long hearing, Suu Kyi met with her defence team for about 30 minutes, according to her lawyer.

During the meeting, he said, Suu Kyi asked for help in finding a way to meet expenses that she has incurred during her detention.

Suu Kyi has been detained at an undisclosed location together with eight other individuals and her pet dog Taichido, according to her defence team.

“She’s spending her own money, without anyone’s support, month by month. So she asked us to see how we can help with this,” said Khin Maung Zaw.

“The family living with her is running out of money. The military council has said they would provide her with the medicine she needs biweekly, but she doesn’t want that,” said Min Min Soe, another lawyer on her legal team.

The lawyers said they need to negotiate with the junta to provide an emergency budget for the detained state counsellor and those living with her.

Otherwise, they said, Suu Kyi seemed to be faring fairly well under the circumstances.

“She’s generally healthy,” said Khin Maung Zaw.

Aung San Suu Kyi

Myanmar Now

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Interview

‘We can’t even offer alms for the sake of our child’

The father of a 19-year-old slain in an Ayeyarwady Region shootout with the junta’s troops speaks about the informant tipoff that changed the fate of his village

Myanmar Now

Published on Jun 7, 2021

Two of the four Hlay Swel villagers arrested by the military council, pictured in a photo released by the regime authorities

Three villagers were killed in a shootout between local resistance forces and the junta’s armed forces on Saturday in Hlay Swel village in Ayeyarwady Region’s Kyonpyaw Township. A man whose 19-year-old son was among those killed in the clash spoke with Myanmar Now about his loss, and about the violence that has enveloped his community and forced its residents into hiding.

Myanmar Now: What was the main cause of the shootout in the village?

Villager: The military raided the village at 4:00 in the morning and searched the homes one by one. Some of us fled and avoided them, and they arrested two of our villagers. Usually, when they make arrests, we have kids on watch duty who hide once they see them come in. But in the morning, after they had arrested the two villagers and then left, our group just came together for a quick chat about the situation. We were surrounded by them because the informants snitched on us. They told us to not run, but some of us ran and some of us just gave in.

This started the shootout, but we don’t really have good weapons. We only have slingshots and air guns, so we just used those. We were surrounded by six men on three bikes. Then reinforcements came to corner us and we couldn’t hold on, so we backed down and there were some casualties. They chased us and we ran. Now we’re in hiding, entire families and the entire village. Only the informants are left in the village.

MN: We have been told that the main reason the troops came into the village was because they were tipped off by an informant. Is this true?

V: We have a driver in our village who sends bananas to Yangon. An informant told the military that his truck was carrying weapons and they searched his truck. But he’s an honest man, and he is the face of our village. He has always remained neutral—there’s no red or green for him. [Editor’s note: Red is the color of the ousted National League for Democracy, and green is the color of the military and its party affiliates] He does great work for the good of our village. So when a man like that was arrested, we got angry. He was taken for no reason. Do they not have brains? Do they believe anything an informant says? They have to make sure it’s confirmed. They searched everywhere and couldn’t find anything. And they still arrested him. So yeah, we were mad. And that led to this.

MN: How many villagers were killed in the shootout?

V: A father and his son. And my son. Three villagers in total were killed. Two others were injured. They were hurt when the reinforcements came. There was also another person who was shot yesterday while he was on his bike. He was just a passerby. So a total of four then, I’d say.

MN: What is being done with the bodies?

V: All the bodies were taken to the township hospital in an ambulance. They were kept in the morgue and released this morning. We were asked to sign some documents. The bodies were cremated at the cemetery. There’s no way for us to go there, if we do, we’d get arrested. We can’t even offer alms for the sake of our children.

MN: We were told that they used excessive force when they raided the village. Can you speak on that?

V: We can’t really give an estimate on the number of reinforcements that came in later—at first it was just six. And then there could have been a lot of manpower when the reinforcements came, because it was like a shower of bullets. We don’t have any good weapons, but we took action because we had to. They were just shooting at everything they saw like it was a military operation.

MN: How is the situation with regards to villagers who fled? What is their situation like right now?

V: When it happened, all the villagers went into hiding. There are about 200 homes in the village—no one dared to go home. Other nearby villages are now housing us. But it’s monsoon season, so the accommodation [in hiding] is not going to be okay.

MN: Is the military still in the village?

V: Yes. They’ve set up camp somewhere near the village. We would like to go back but we’re currently in hiding.

MN: What would make it easier for villagers to return home?

V: Even if we asked for help, who’s going to come and help us? If only they left, we could go back to our homes. If the informants keep snitching and they keep coming, it’s just going to be a vicious cycle.

MN: Is there anything else you’d like to say?

V: We are fighting against them because we condemn the dictatorship. I would just like to say this to the informants: if you can’t make your village better, that’s fine. Just don’t ruin it.

Myanmar Now

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Junta troops use locals as human shields in Moebye clash

Four abductees—including a 17-year-old boy—were beaten, tied up, and forced by the Myanmar military to stand between them and local resistance during a clash

Myanmar Now

Published on Jun 7, 2021

A civilian who escaped after being abducted by the military council in Moebye is seen with bruises from his hands being tied (Supplied)

The military council used four abductees—including a teenager—as human shields during a clash in Moebye, southern Shan State on Friday, family members and neighbours of an escaped detainee confirmed.

The junta’s armed forces broke into a church in the Pwe Kone third ward of Moebye that afternoon before a battle broke out with the local civilian defence force, abducting three men and a 17-year-old boy who had remained in the church on security duty. The detainees were then reportedly used as human shields during the fighting.

“They beat them up. They forced a 17-year-old to wear a bag that held a bomb and threatened to shoot him if he ran away. The kid and my father were used as human shields in the front, but not the other two,” the son of the man who escaped told Myanmar Now.

Other sources told Myanmar Now that by later that night, all four had been forced to act as human shields.

When the clash started on Friday evening, the faces of the abductees were covered with longyis to block their sense of sight and prevent them from running away, as they were placed near the frontline. Later, their hands were tied, and they were forced by the junta’s armed forces to stand near the area’s railroad between the fighting groups, locals said.

A neighbour of the escaped abductee recalled that the Moebye People’s Defence Force (MBPDF) was stationed at one end of a road near the area’s railroad, with the junta’s armed forces opposite them.

“The abductees were left standing in pairs with their hands tied. And a teenager was forced to carry a bag with a bomb inside,” he told Myanmar Now.

It was while he was forced to stand in the road that one 43-year-old detainee escaped.

“He escaped at night and hid inside a home and came to us in the morning,” another neighbour said, adding that he had been visibly injured by the abuse inflicted by the regime soldiers.

“There are bruises on his hands from being tied with ropes. He can’t even eat. He was kicked in the back so many times. He was kicked in the head and teeth as well. His left eye is all swollen,” the neighbour said.

It is still believed that the teenager and two other men—aged 53 and 56—are being held by the troops.

At least four regime soldiers were killed during the clash with the MBPDF, and local homes were destroyed when the military opened fire on the local resistance with artillery, the MPDF announced, adding that locals in the area were also placed under arrest.

Myanmar Now has not been able to confirm these, as well as reports that the clashes intensified over the weekend.

The Progressive Karenni People’s Force (PKPF) announced that some 40 locals and members of defence groups had been killed by the military council as of June 3 in Kayah State, which is just south of Moebye.