Democratic Voice of Burma

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• Bullet Points
• Women activists stand trial in Chin State for protesting against army rape
• Three farmers sentenced to three years for plough protest in Sagaing
• Reporters hold silent protest in Prome for Unity Weekly verdict

Bullet Points Posted: 16 Jul 2014 06:01 AM PDT On today's edition of Bullet Points: The trial of eight women's rights activists continued on Tuesday in the towns of Rezua and Matupi in Chin State. Three leaders of a “plough war” on army-confiscated land in Kanbalu, Sagaing division have been given sentences of up to three years in prison. NGO stitches teddy bears for displaced Kachin children. The annual Myanmar Banking and Business Development Conference enters its second day in Rangoon. Watch Bullet Points on DVB TV after the 7 o'clock news.

Women activists stand trial in Chin State for protesting against army rape Posted: 16 Jul 2014 05:33 AM PDT Eight women's rights activists were questioned yesterday in two Chin State courts for staging unauthorised public protests against sexual violence by the Burmese military. In June, about 400 protesters in Matupi took part in a demonstration that was prompted by the alleged attempted rape of a 55-year-old woman by a Burmese Army soldier, Private Myo Thura Kyaw from Light Infantry Battalion No. 269. In neighboring Rezua, roughly 200 people showed up for a similar protest. Although event organisers had requested permission from local authorities to stage their demonstrations, they were rebuffed – but forged on anyway. Four activists in Matupi and four more in Rezua were then charged with the violation of the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Processions Law. According to a press release yesterday by the Chin Human Rights Organisation (CHRO), the trials for the eight activists will continue on 22 July. Urging authorities to "immediately and unconditionally drop the charges against the activists", CHRO reiterated its call for an independent investigation into "serious human rights violations in Burma, including sexual violence, in order to deter further violations and help end the culture of impunity." CHRO has documented five cases of sexual violence perpetrated by the Burmese military in Chin State since the nominally civilian government of President Thein Sein came into power in 2011. However, Cherry Zahau, a prominent Chin activist, said that these recorded instances are just the "tip of the iceberg", and that the Burmese military is using sexual violence and rape against Chin women to assert power. Related Stories Three farmers sentenced to three years for plough protest in Sagaing Rape case unrelated to Mandalay riots, alleged victim says Bullet Points "So far, those perpetrators have not been brought into any court system and justice has not been done in the favour of the victims," Cherry Zahau said. "Clearly, it is a power issue [to show] that the soldier can do whatever he wants to do in that village. That is the message they want to indicate." Cherry Zahau added that the way the Burmese military and the government have been dealing with these complaints indicates a lack of political will. "If there is a functional government or a more democratic government, they should look at the cases and the problems the women are raising instead of arresting the people who are raising the concerns and their voices," she said.

Three farmers sentenced to three years for plough protest in Sagaing Posted: 16 Jul 2014 05:30 AM PDT Three farmers in Sagaing Division were sentenced to three years in prison on Monday for "trespassing" and about 300 more face charges for staging a plough protest in Kanbalu on farmland that was confiscated by the Burmese military. In March, the farmers demonstrated for the return of their land in the town of Kanbalu by ploughing the farmland, a common last resort for farmers who had their land confiscated by the Burmese Army during the military regime. The Burmese Army's 2nd Logistics Battalion confiscated the Kanbalu land in 1997, and is currently operating it as a sugar cane plantation project. Win Myiny, a police superintendent for the neighbouring Zeetaw village, said that the army immediately pressed charges against the three farmers leading the protest. One of them, Kaung Tun, belongs to a volunteer network that communicates regularly between local farmers and the International Labour Organisation. "The three farmers faced charges by a captain in the battalion for ploughing the land the army is using for a sugar cane project," Win Myint said. Local villagers added that 300 more people face other charges, including for vandalism, which were filed by tenant farmers under the orders of the military. "The tenant farmers have pressed multiple charges on the protesters per the instruction of the Burmese Army, including Article 427 under the Penal Code for vandalism," said Kyaw Tun Naing. "I was just a hired tractor driver – I joined the plough protest for a small fee – and now I am facing 22 separate charges." After he was sentenced, Kaung Tun was immediately sent to Shwebo prison, while the other two remained in Kanbalu. Since President Thein Sein's nominally civilian government came into power in 2011, plough protests have become extremely popular among farmers who have had their land confiscated by the military. The frequency of these demonstrations highlight the prevalent problem of extensive land grabs by the government during the decades of military rule. Related Stories Bullet Points Women activists stand trial in Chin State for protesting against army rape Burmese army plans to return only a quarter of seized land nationwide

Reporters hold silent protest in Prome for Unity Weekly verdict Posted: 16 Jul 2014 02:28 AM PDT Local reporters in Pegu Division's town of Prome refused to cover a visit by Burmese Vice President Nyan Tun on Tuesday, choosing instead to stage a silent protest to show their support for the four reporters and CEO of Unity Weekly news journal who were recently sentenced to lengthy prison terms. Four reporters and the CEO of Unity Weekly News journal were sentenced on Thursday to ten years in prison with hard labour under the Official Secrets Act by Magwe Divisional court. They were accused of revealing state secrets for publishing an investigative report in January alleging the existence of a military facility in Magwe that produces chemical weapons. Local Prome reporter Kaung Myat Min said Tuesday that the media workers were protesting for the release of the five Unity Weekly staff members. Seated in the centre of town with black tape wrapped on their mouths, the roughly 20 Prome reporters sought to illustrate that the verdict serves as a way to intimidate and undermine independent reporting by the press. "We see the verdict as an oppression of the media and a sign that the army will not be forgiving to those who write reports like Unity's," Kaung Myat Min said. Their silent protest comes a day after five media workers from Bi-Mon Te Nay Weekly news journal were charged in Rangoon's Pabedan Township with causing public alarm under the 1950 Emergency Provisions Act. These charges were levied after the Bi-Mon Te Nay Weekly (literally "Bi-Noonday Sun") published a front-page report last Monday falsely reporting that opposition National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and ethnic group leaders will be installed in an interim government. Robert San Aung, a high court lawyer who will be defending the five, said that under these charges, the group could face up to seven years in prison. "I learned that the five have been charged and remanded under Article 5(d) and 5(j) of the 1950 Emergency Provisions Act," Robert San Aung said, adding that the hearing is expected to commence on 23 July. With two reporters and three editors gone, the Bi-Mon Te Nay Weekly will temporarily cease operations, said Aung Aung, a staff member of the weekly paper. He added that the police had also seized their office computers. "So basically, we have no editors left. We cancelled this week's issue, but we are trying to resume printing by Friday," he said. While most of the focus in recent months have centred on the trials of the Unity Weekly media workers, scrutiny on the government for Unity Weekly's report of an alleged chemical weapons facility in Magwe has abated. Related Stories Bullet Points Govt aims to muzzle press before 2015 elections, says Press Council Fifty charged after protest for media freedom Yae Khe, a reporter from Mizzima News, called for more information on the alleged chemical weapons facility, and also promised that another protest will be staged for the release of the Bi-Mon Te Nay staff. "We call the government to provide more information about the alleged chemical weapons factory. We also vow to stage another protest if the Bi-Mon Te Nay staff are not released," he said. Yae Khe is currently facing charges for staging a one-man protest in April calling for the release of then-jailed DVB reporter Zaw Pe. The verdict on his case will be announced by Prome Township's court on Thursday. Once optimistic about the press reforms instated by the nominally civilian government in 2012, local and international media — as well as press advocacy groups — are now criticising President Thein Sein's government for an apparent backslide in its commitment to press freedom.

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