Myanmar Activists Charged Following Protest of Independence Hero Statue

By Thu Thu Aung

YANGON – Dozens of activists in eastern Myanmar are facing charges of unlawful assembly following a police crackdown on a protest against a statue of Aung San, the country’s independence hero and father of Aung San Suu Kyi.

On Thursday, police arrested 36 individuals outside the headquarters of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party in Loikaw, the capital of Kayah state, according to Di Di, spokesman for the Karenni Youth Force Protest Camp Committee. An additional 10 individuals were arrested the following day.

A video shared online by another group, the Union of Karenni State Youth, depicted police removing young protesters who were sitting in a circle and singing a protest song. This video has not been independently verified.

An officer at the Loikaw police station refused to provide any comments, and state officials were unavailable for contact.

The protests began after the Kayah government revealed plans for a gold-colored statue of General Aung San on horseback, which was inaugurated earlier this month. The statue, honoring a leader from the Burman majority, has faced opposition from members of the Karenni minority.

Aung San is recognized as the founder of Myanmar’s armed forces and for his efforts to unify the country’s ethnic minorities before his assassination in 1947. However, many minority groups believe that the aspiration for a fair federal system has not been realized.

His daughter, Aung San Suu Kyi, won the elections in 2015 but currently shares power with the military. She must maintain support in ethnic minority regions in order to succeed in the upcoming elections and work towards peace with armed groups advocating for minority rights and autonomy.

Since the protests against the statue began in mid-2018, a total of 54 protesters have been charged under the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law. Those convicted could face up to six months in prison. Nine activists have also been charged with defamation and incitement, which carry a potential two-year jail sentence.

The protesters assert their right to challenge a narrative that diminishes Karenni autonomy in favor of glorifying Aung San’s role. Di Di emphasized, "We must have a right to self-determination and a right to regional autonomy. The government must guarantee these rights."

Fortify Rights, an organization monitoring the demonstrations, has urged the government to cease its crackdown on peaceful protesters. The group’s chief executive, Matthew Smith, stated, “No one should spend any time in court or behind bars for exercising their human rights.”