Arbitrary Detention in Myanmar

This is an oral statement by NCF Research Officer Armaan Haji that was submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council’s 51st Session. It emphasises the need to end arbitrary detention in Myanmar.

Transcript

The Next Century Foundation is concerned by the recent developments in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, and the arbitrary detentions carried out by the current government. Since the military took power on 1st of February 2021, over 15,000 people have been arbitrarily detained and subjected to military tribunal. The Martial Law Order 3/ 2021, decreed by the military government in March 2021 states that criminal cases can be heard and decided by a military tribunal in a summary way and allows for the death penalty to be sentenced for 23 broadly defined crimes ranging from treason to terrorism.

The Next Century Foundation recognises and supports the High Commissioners call for the immediate release of all political prisoners and others arbitrarily detained and to reinstate Myanmar’s de facto moratorium on the use of the death penalty of particular concern with the executions of four men, two of whom were prominent anti-coup activist, following the military tribunal that sentence them to the death penalty. During the military tribunal, they were not allow any access to legal counsel, which is a violation of international human rights law. These executions were the first to occur in over 30 years and many more are currently on death row. We therefore ask the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to utilize an independent judiciary to promote and protect the rights of its peoples in place of the current use of military tribunals.