Dissidents Fear Security Reinforcements

By SAW YAN NAING
The Irrawaddy News
www.irrawaddy.org

March 14, 2008 - Burmese activists face increased prospects of arrest since the Burmese authorities beefed up security around Rangoon this week, according to dissident sources in the former capital.

On March 12, nine members of activist group Generation Wave were arrested by the authorities and are currently being detained in Rangoon’s Bahan police station, according to a source close to the group.

Rangoon authorities also raided the house of one of the group’s leaders, Kyaw Kyaw, said the source, adding that since March 6 about 18 members of this group have been arrested.

An anonymous police officer at Bahan Police Station told The Irrawaddy on Friday that an “unidentified security organization” arrested the nine members of Generation Wave.

However, activist sources said that Military Affairs Security personnel arrested the nine dissidents.

Generation Wave is made up of students and young activists, and was founded in late 2007 in the wake of the military crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations.

Meanwhile, sources said that Burmese soldiers and army trucks were patrolling the downtown area of Rangoon while riot police and plain clothes security guards were deployed at major junctions and busy areas, such as Yuzana, Tamwe and Sule Pagoda, as well as around schools and markets in the former capital.

Speaking with The Irrawaddy on Friday, Soe Htun, a member of the 88 Generation Students group who is currently in hiding, said that he and his colleagues are now very careful about safety following the security reinforcements.

He said, “Since the Burmese authorities tightened security, we are now very worried about our safety. We don’t know why they did this, but it could be a way to threaten people.”

A well-informed source in Rangoon said that the authorities have beefed up security forces for fear of a repeat of the protests led by monks in September last year.

Meanwhile, a statement released on Friday by the 88 Generation Students group urged civilians not to support the national referendum and vote “No” to the regime-written draft Constitution.

Soe Htun said, “We are urging civilians to be brave and vote “No” in the referendum by rejecting the one-sided Constitution because the referendum can’t guarantee safety and peace for civilians.”

The Burmese military regime officially announced on February 9 that a national referendum would be held in May and multi-party elections in 2010.

Soe Htun also said that the referendum won’t be free and fair due to the lack of participation by opposition groups, members of 1990-elected parliament and ethnic leaders.

Recently, the junta also rejected a proposal by UN Special Envoy to Burma Ibrahim Gambari that an international observer’s team would assure the referendum process is free and fair.

Meanwhile, authorities ordered the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) to form a sub-commission of six members to oversee the referendum, said USDA sources.

The junta recently ordered local authorities in Rangoon to persuade residents to support the national referendum in May, according to informed sources.

Local authorities in Rangoon, such as the Township Peace and Development Council and the Ward Peace and Development Council, were officially asked earlier this week by the chairman of Rangoon Division Peace and Development Council, Brig-Gen Hla Htay Win, and Home Minister Maung Oo to lobby local residents to vote “Yes” at the national referendum, said the sources.