Women, children arrested for rare protest (Update)
Thursday, 04 June 2009 16:45 New Delhi (Mizzima) - Two women and three children were arrested by the police on Thursday after briefly demonstrating in front of the US embassy in Rangoon.
According to the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners-Burma (AAPP-B), the group of people belonged to one family – mother and children. They had been demanding the release of the head of their family – the husband and the father, who was arrested and detained by the authorities.
Tate Naing, General Secretary of the AAPP-B, said “We have confirmation that two women and three children were arrested by the police.”
He said they were family members of a political prisoner but failed to give the name and time of his arrest.
Drake Weisert, Assistant Public Affairs Officer of the US Embassy, confirmed the demonstration but refused to explain their demands saying it was a personal matter.
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Brief gathering outside US Embassy in Rangoon
Thursday, 04 June 2009 12:25New Delhi (Mizzima) - A small group of people gathered in front of the US Embassy in Rangoon on Thursday morning, an official of the Embassy said.
Drake Weisert, Assistant Public Affairs Officer of the US Embassy, confirmed that there was a brief demonstration, which began at around 10 a.m. (local time) and lasted about 15 minutes.
“There was a small group of people [about 10] who came to the Embassy this morning. It was a private issue. There were no political motive and no political statements,” Weisert said.
Weisert, however, refused to talk about the demands made by the group saying it was only an expression of concern on personal matters.
Weisert said the group dispersed after an Embassy official talked to them.
