Ko Myint Naing and colleague Ko Maung Maung Lay were beaten by a mob of about 100 Union Solidarity and Development Association members, special police and civilians from Henzada, Irrawaddy Division on April 18.
Henzada court accepts law suit against civilian attackers
Democratic Voice of Burmna, June 11, 2007.
The Henzada township court has accepted a law suit filed by human rights activist Ko Myint Naing against six civilians alleged to have bashed him in April just outside Oak Pon village.
Ko Myint Naing and colleague Ko Maung Maung Lay were beaten by a mob of about 100 Union Solidarity and Development Association members, special police and civilians from Henzada, Irrawaddy Division on April 18.
Ko Myint Naing originally filed a law suit against 12 defendants including six men involved with the police and the USDA. The court refused to accept the case against the six men, allowing only three low-level village leaders and three civilians to be sued.
Myint Aye of the grass-roots Human Rights Defenders and Promoters said that it was the guilty parties who were excluded from the legal action.
“One of them is a police station chief and another is a USDA secretary. That’s why they weren’t included,” Myint Aye said.
Ko Myint Naing and Ko Maung Maung Lay, both members of the HRDP, were in Henzada with a small group of other members as part of a campaign to increase awareness of human rights issues.
The two men were bashed as they attempted to follow the rest of their group out of Oak Pon village on a motorbike.
“We know that the main person who orchestrated the whole thing . . . was the USDA township secretary . . . This shows that some people are above the law,” Myint Aye said.
The Henzada court is due to hear the case tomorrow and on Wednesday.
Reporting by Aye Naing
National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma
http://www.ncgub.net/article.php/20070612110437887