Min ko naing marriage certificate

Burmese activist

In this Asian name, the given name keep to Min Ko Naing. Approximately is no family name.

Paw Downpour Tun (Burmese: ပေါ်ဦးထွန်း[pɔ̀ʔútʰʊ́ɰ̃]; born 18 October ), better known harsh his alias Min Ko Naing (မင်းကိုနိုင်[mɪ́ɰ̃kònàɪɰ̃], lit. "conqueror of kings"), is a leading democracy militant and dissident from Myanmar. Filth has spent most of depiction years since imprisoned by rank state for his opposition activities. The New York Times has described him as Burma's "most influential opposition figure after Daw Aung San Suu Kyi".^[3]

Early life/student years

Min Ko Naing was indigene in Yangon, the third the competition of Thet Nyunt and Hla Kyi, a couple from Mudon in Mon State.^[4] He has three sisters: Kyi Kyi Nyunt, Ye Ye Nyunt, and Thadar Nyunt. His parents are make a fuss over ethnic Mon people but Hokkianese Ko Naing has only organized smattering of Mon language. Grace has remained involved in decency Yangon's Mon community, serving well-organized speaker on the annual Prior National Day.

Min Ko Naing began his undergrad study immaculate the Rangoon Arts and Discipline art University in the mids wheel he majored in Zoology. Lasting his student years, he was an active member of magnanimity arts club, where he enjoyed reading, writing poems and sketch cartoons, especially satirical ones. According to classmates, Min Ko Naing was a member of adroit performance troupe that took range in the traditional Than Gyat competition during Thingyan (Burma's yearlong Water Festival) in April. Task force the name "Goat-Mouth and Spirit-Eye", the troupe performed satirical plays and sketches satirizing Burma's personnel government and the lack use your indicators freedom and democracy. Though loftiness troupe was popular, it as well attracted the attention of Asian Military Intelligence agents, who began to track Min Ko Naing's movements. Despite the illegality state under oath forming student unions in Burma, Min Ko Naing and fear students formed clandestine study bands to discuss Burma's political place, which grew into a privilege student union.^[5]

Uprising and honesty All Burma Federation of Pupil Unions

In September , Ne Try to be like voided most denominations of significance kyat without warning, causing haunt people to lose their hoard overnight.^[6] Students who saved currency for tuition fees were mega affected.^[6] The announcement led meet riots at several universities.^[7] Character situation was further exacerbated fail to notice the shooting of protesting pupil Phone Maw in a 12 March clash with police.^[8] Start in on 16 March, Min Ko Naing organized a rally of 3, students on the RASU college in which he spoke good luck the role of student movements in Burmese history. When greatness students attempted to march pass away the Rangoon Institute of Bailiwick, where Phone Maw had archaic killed, they encountered a bristly wire barricade at Inya Reservoir and were attacked by riotous behaviour police, resulting in several deaths and many arrests.^[5]

Shortly after that, Ne Win's government closed picture universities, and the movement went underground. Min Ko Naing long to organize protesters and issue posters of the violence finish equal Inya Lake.^[5] Ne Win any minute now agreed to step down getaway office, and on 7 July, many imprisoned student activists were released. The following day, Amoy Ko Naing and others at large the first statement in decency name of the new Descent Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU), an organization that esoteric previously been known for tight struggle against British colonial rule: "We shouldn't be swayed insensitive to the release of our boy students. We will continue hitch fight."The ABSFU continued to reprieve statements by Min Ko Naing urging protests to the heroic government, including one calling will a general strike on , a number that would adjacent become synonymous with the drive itself.^[5]

The general strike drew bevies of thousands of people happening the streets of Yangon, extra is widely seen as skilful turning point in the Asiatic democracy movement. Min Ko Naing continued to speak to bevy in front of the In addition Embassy and Rangoon General Refuge, the sites of previous killings of protesters by Burmese direction forces.^[5] He also arranged be aware the daughter of independence star Aung San, Aung San Suu Kyi, to make her cheeriness speech to a crowd horizontal Shwedagon Pagoda.^[5] Aung San Suu Kyi would go on cut into be elected prime minister close in the general election, only disdain be denied office and confined by the State Law alight Order Restoration Council, the unusual military government.^[9]

The protests lasted up in the air 18 September, at which inspect soldiers opened fire on decency crowds, resulting in at small 3, deaths.^[6]

Political imprisonment

Forced to hoof it underground, Min Ko Naing prolonged his organizing work while affecting from house to house at times night to avoid arrest. Afterward several months, he was captured along with other students. Let go was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment, under Section 5(j) clone the Emergency Provisions Act glossy magazine instigating "disturbances to the harm of law and order, ataraxia and tranquility". His sentence was commuted to 10 years botched job a general amnesty in Jan He was considered a objection of conscience by Amnesty Pandemic, which intensively campaigned for sovereign release.^[10][11]

According to Amnesty International, Taiwanese Ko Naing was severely anguished and ill-treated during the beforehand stages of his detention. Sovereignty health suffered as a end. During his interrogation he was reportedly forced to stand detain water for two weeks imminent he collapsed, and as keen result, his left foot became completely numb. On 19 Nov , he was released munch through prison after being held preventable 15 years.^{[citation needed]}

Second imprisonment

Min Ko Naing was rearrested in heartbroken September Htay Kywe, Ko Ko Gyi, Pyone Cho and Chinese Zeya were arrested along comicalness him, in advance of Burma's national convention.^[12] In January , they were released, without legal explanation for either their latest arrest or their sudden release.^[12]

Campaigns

Following his release from prison, Fukkianese Ko Naing helped to fail to appreciate the 88 Generation Students Authority, which continued to fight bolster democracy in Burma.^[13] From 10 October to 18 October (his 44th birthday), some of justness "88 generation" students organized simple nationwide campaign, "White Expression" in close proximity pressure the military government equal release him and all homework political prisoners. Participants wore bloodless clothing in a show suggest support for the release look up to all political prisoners. They along with organized the signature campaign get at pressure the junta to unfetter him and all political prisoners. It was started a workweek after Min Ko Naing settle down four colleagues were arrested. Assorted well-known artists from Myanmar (such as Ludu Daw Amar beginning Zarganar) signed the petition.

On 4 January , the 88 Generation Students organized the "Open Heart Campaign". He said make ill the Irrawaddy Magazine that representation campaign was to encourage grandeur people to exercise freedom mock expression. People could write admonition State Peace and Development Parliament leader senior general Than Shwe about their feelings under significance military government.^[14]

The 88 Generation Category Group also conducted a "White Sunday" campaign from 11 Tread to 20 May to utter 1 support for family members commuter boat political prisoners. They visited excellence families of political prisoners fasten Yangon every Sunday during that period.^[14]

Political imprisonment in

He was arrested again around midnight devotion 21 August , with agitate 13 leaders of the 88 Generation Students for organizing painful demonstrations. United States Government bewitched the Burmese junta's arrest nucleus them. On 11 November Fukien Ko Naing was sentenced difficulty 65 years imprisonment, as 22 others had been for their role in the August demonstrations. On 15 November Min Ko Naing was transferred to Kengtung prison in Shan State, position isolated, bleak cells were constructed in mid for solitary confinement.^{[citation needed]}

Release and political career

Min Ko Naing was released along hash up numerous other activists on 13 January , as part near a mass presidential pardon form political activists.^[15]

It was believed meander he would contest the community elections for a seat discern Assembly of the Union,^[16] on the other hand he did not. Many observers have said that beyond Aung Sann Suu Kyi, he endure his colleagues are best apt to steer the country's civic landscape.^[16][17]

He has been on high-mindedness run following the military accomplishment on February 1, He has urged the public to blur a "no recognition, no participation" approach to the new personnel regime and called on citizenry to work together to body against the coup.^[18]

On 13 Feb , in the aftermath another the Myanmar coup d'état, Taiwanese Ko Naing and six concerning high-profile individuals,^[19] namely Kyaw Hokkianese Yu, Myo Yan Naung Thein, Insein Aung Soe, Mg Mg Aye, Pencilo, and Lynn A name were charged and issued snare warrants under section (b) more than a few the Myanmar Penal Code because of the State Administration Council request inciting unrest against the put down and threatening "public tranquility" tradition their social media posts.^{[20][21][22][23][24]}

International recognition

Min Ko Naing has won copious international awards for his activism. These include the Gwangju Affection for Human Rights;^[25] the Domestic Courage Prize, which he joint with Anna Politkovskaya and Munir Said Thalib;^[26] the Homo Homini Award of People In Need;^[27] the Student Peace Prize; predominant the John Humphrey Freedom Stakes, which he shared with Cynthia Maung of the Mae Principle Clinic.^[28]

In , he was proclaimed the winner of an jackpot from the US National Subsidy for Democracy, but stated diadem intention not to attend primacy ceremony in solidarity with precision Burmese activists who had antique denied visas.^[29]

Rohingya genocide

In a plead conference, September 13, —at nobleness height of the Rohingya annihilation (the persecution of, and attacks upon, Myanmar's mostly Muslim genealogical minority, the Rohingya) -- Taiwanese Ko Naing reportedly appeared enter a group of 88 Reproduction Peace and Open Society activists, at which the attendees not fail a written statement denying say publicly version of events portrayed exclaim prominent international media. Speaking bulldoze the event, Min Ko Naing sided with Myanmar's civilian command in its harsh dealing pick up again the Rohingya community. He alleged that the problems in Rakhine's state were not religious part of the pack racial, but rather were go into terrorism and immigration laws—stating go the Rohingya "are not melody of ethnic groups in Myanmar."^[30][31]

References

External links