Statement by Karen Peace Support Network
KPSN condemns jailing of Kachin activists
The Karen Peace Support Network condemns the conviction and jailing of Kachin peace activists, Nang Pu, Lum Zawng and Zau Jat. The jailing of these activists is designed to silence criticism of the military and their actions. It will not succeed. Ethnic people will stand united for our rights, for peace, and for our freedom.
The jailing of Nang Pu, Lum Zawng and Zau Jat is another example of how there is no justice in Burma. At the same time as the authorities, both military and government, claim to be engaged in working for peace, they abuse their power and collaborate in jailing people for peacefully expressing their opinion speaking out for peace.
We call on the NLD government to use their constitutional power to immediately release Nang Pu, Lum Zawng and Zau Jat, and all political prisoners. We further call on them to stop allowing prosecutions of this kind to go ahead, and to repeal the laws which are used by the military and government to jail and attempt to silence their critics.
We welcome the statement by European Union Delegation to Myanmar. We call on donors to the peace process to raise the issue of the jailing of ethnic civil society activists directly with the military and the government. The military seeking prosecution of activists such and Nang Pu, Lum Zawng and Zau Jat, and the government keeping them in jail despite having the power to release them, is yet another example of the lack of genuine goodwill in the peace process. Donors should launch a comprehensive review of their support to the current peace process. If the military and government were genuine about peace they would not be jailing peace activists.