credit EMG Fourteen of 32 activist lawyers who were barred from practice under the military junta have regained their licences.
The Myanmar Lawyers’ Network said the lawyers were stripped of their licences for political reasons.
“I was imprisoned for political reasons from 1990 to 2001. When I was released from the prison, I practised again as a lawyer. Then [authorities] asked me to submit a letter that says, ‘I will no longer take part in any political activities’. As I did not submit it, my licence was taken. I regained it only now, after 11 years,” Thein Than Oo said.
Chief Judge for Union Supreme Court Tun Tun Oo said over 200 lawyers’ licences were confiscated for several reasons from 1972 to 2012.
Thein Than Oo said the licences were revoked without proper procedure. Under the 1929 Lawyers’ Council Act, a panel consisting of a Supreme Court prosecutor, a representative from the Lawyer’s Council and the Attorney General’s office will submit arguments before the Supreme Court can make a decision whether to revoke licences.
The lawyers submitted their appeal as a group but only individual appeals were approved.
A conference concerning the abuse of the lawyers’ rights will be held on December 29 at Taw Win Hninsi Hall in Yangon.
On 8 November, Rushanara spoke in support of the Rohingya community as part of the Rohingya Global Day of Action. Joined by Jonathan Ashworth MP, she called on the international community to apply the strongest pressure on the Burmese authorities to facilitate immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access to affected areas and continue to support those living in displacement camps. She also delivered a letter co-signed by Shadow Minister for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Kerry McCarthy MP to Secretary of State William Hague MP, calling on him to urge the Burmese authorities to address the humanitarian crisis and provide support for refugees.
democracy for burma 
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