Dozens of civil society organisations in Myanmar have asked authorities to stop the arrests of and violent crackdowns on peaceful demonstrators in the commercial capital Yangon, who have been peacefully protesting against conflict in Kachin state, RFA reported on 14 May.
According to the report, Myanmar police want to charge 17 organizers of a 300-strong antiwar protest held on May 12 in Yangon with disturbing the peace and staging a protest without permission from authorities.
They also called for charges to be dropped against Kachin youth leaders Lwan Zaung, Nang Pu, and Zaw Jet, who led a protest in Myitkyina to free IDPs trapped in conflict zones and have been charged with criminal defamation under Article 500 of the Penal Code, and their hearing is set for May 16.