End the prosecution of Rohingya human rights defender Kyaw Hla Aung

On July 7, 2014, KyawHla Aung, a prominent human rights lawyer, will appear beforethe Sittwe District Court to face various charges, including “rioting and beingarmed with deadly weapons “(Article 148 of the Criminal Code) and “injuring acivil servant, interfering with his official duties” (Article 333 of theCriminal Code).

“Theongoing detention of Kyaw Hla Aung is symptomatic of the Burmese Government’srelentless persecution of Rohingya and its misguided policies in Arakan State”, said FIDH President Karim Lahidji. “Kyaw Hla Aung is a moderateand well-respected member of the Rohingya community. Instead of keeping himbehind bars, the Burmese Government should release him and work with him topromote dialogue between Buddhist and Muslim communities, including Rohingya,in Arakan State”, he added.

OnJuly 15, 2013, authorities in Sittwe Township, Arakan State, arrested Kyaw Hla Aung in connection withRohingya internally displaced person (IDP) protests against attempts by theGovernment to register them as ‘Bengali’ in April 2013. Clashes betweenRohingya IDPs and immigration officials during the protests at Thetkalpyin IDPcamp in Sittwe Township forced the authorities to suspend the registrationprocess. However, Kyaw Hla Aung was not present during the protests and, infact, had tried to contact camp leaders in order to advise them to keep theprotests peaceful.

“The arrest and persecution of Kyaw Hla Aung hasall appearances of a reprisal seeking to quell protest by the Rohingya. Thelevel of violations remains disquieting. Any way forward must respect anabsolute baseline consensus that those who defend the rights of others,including minority populations, need to be protected”, said OMCT Secretary General Gerald Staberock.

FormerUnited Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Burma Tomás Ojea Quintana,who repeatedly called for Kyaw Hla Aung’s release, described him as a prisonerof conscience and said his detention was arbitrary. Kyaw Hla Aung suffers fromhypertension and stomach problems that require regular medication.

In1986, Kyaw Hla Aung was imprisoned for two years for writing an appeal to theauthorities on behalf of local farmers whose land had been confiscated. In1990, he was arrested during a crackdown on Rohingya activists and spent thenext 10 years in jail. In June 2012, Government authorities detained him, alongwith several other Rohingya aid workers, for his alleged involvement in thesectarian unrest that hit Arakan State. He was released in August 2012.

Formore information, please contact:

·FIDH: Arthur Manet: +33 1 43 55 25 18 · OMCT: Delphine Reculeau: +41 22 809 49 39