On 29 August 2013, human rights defender Ms Naw Ohn Hla was found guilty of disturbing public tranquillity under Section 505(b) of the Burmese Penal Code and sentenced to two years in prison with hard labour. She had been arrested on 13 August 2013 during a peaceful protest. Naw Ohn Hla has been an active human rights defender for decades and has been instrumental in calling for the suspension of the Letpadaung mining project as it is harming the environment. Numerous other human rights defenders have been targeted in recent times for their peaceful opposition to the same project.
The trial of the human rights defender began on 27 August and ended within three days. In addition to her conviction for disturbing peaceful tranquillity, she remains to be tried under Section 18 of the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law for allegedly holding a protest without permission. She had in fact requested official permission prior to the protest, but was refused.
Her lawyer, U Robert San Aung, is planning to submit an appeal against the verdict later this month. He said that undercover intelligence officers were taking photos of the courtroom and the observers while the trial was taking place.
Naw Ohn Hla has been active for decades as a human rights defender. She campaigned for the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi while she was under house arrest. Naw Ohn Hla has been imprisoned more than seven times since 1989 for her peaceful efforts to free political prisoners and assist Buddhist monks during the 2007 uprising.
is alarmed to see that a considerable number of human rights defenders have recently been targeted for their peaceful opposition to the Letpadaung copper mine. On 8 July 2013, human rights defenders U Aung Soe, U Maung San and Ko Soe Thu were convicted for their role in the protests. On 20 June 2013, an arrest warrant was issued against human rights defenders Moe Thway, Wai Lu and Wai Hmuu Thwin for their comments about the mine. see my earlier blog post (below) and : http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/23262 and 20 June 2013 http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/23097
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- Burma’s land and environmental issues keeps human rights defenders under stress (thoolen.wordpress.com)
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 
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