Demonstrators backing a Kachin activist who was jailed for handing a judge broken scales of justice gathered near Myitkyina township court yesterday for the third rally in five days.
Dozens of people have taken part in the demonstrations in the Kachin capital, including Yangon-based free speech group Athan.
They chanted slogans such as “Is the judicial system falling?” in support of Pau Lu, who along with fellow youth activist Seng Nu Pan was sentenced to 15-days’ imprisonment for his part in an anti-war street performance.
After being sentenced, Pau Lu gave judge Than Htun broken scales of justice to represent injustice and a shutdown of freedom of expression.
The judge filed a complaint under section 228 of the Penal Code, which criminalizes “any insult…to any public servant” and on Friday (September 6) Pau Lu received an additional sentence of three months under the section.
As police escorted him back to prison, he told media “may the world, Myanmar and Kachin know about this unfairness.”
“I will never bow down to injustice,” he said. “I ask all citizens to stand for justice.”
Student leader Nhkum La Nu, 20, helped organize rallies in People’s Square and near the township court.
He now faces charges under section 20 of the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law, which carries up to one month in prison, after police complained some demonstrators wore t-shirts with slogans that were not officially permitted.
Nhkum La Nu and another organiser, Malang Hka Mai, were due to appear for the first court hearing in Myitkyina at 10am today (September 10).
Anger among activists has grown since the trial of Pau Lu and Seng Nu Pan for organising street threatre on June 9 (see video below) that marked the eighth-year anniversary of the renewed Kachin conflict.
The on-going conflict has killed hundreds of civilians and created more than 100,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) who live in camps around Myitkyina.
Nhkum La Nu, who lives in one of the camps, said authorities are discussing the return of IDPs to their homes “in the war zone.”
“If you express the feelings of IDPs, you will get put behind bars,” Nhkum La Nu told Myanmar Mix. “They are talking about IDPs returning, but at the same time, they are damaging IDP rights and freedom of expression. We can’t believe in the government and the judiciary system.”
Kachin Youth Movement leader Lum Zawng said the sentencing of Pau Lu for handing broken scales of justice to the judge was “trying to oppress the new generation of Kachin youth and the Kachin ethnic people for their freedom to speak openly about truth and justice.”
“This is a bad development in the process of peace-making and creating a democratic nation,” he said, reflecting on the criminalization of the anti-war performance.
“At this point of creating a democratic nation, trying to abuse freedom of speech is not the correct answer.”
