“The Vanishing Culture of the Right to Peaceful Protest – Athan 6/10/25, 10:25 AM revolutionary groups, peaceful resistance—such as protests, awareness campaigns, and other anti-junta activities— continues to thrive. In fact, studies show that these non-violent efforts are more frequent in these regions compared to those still under tight military control. Legal Framework Challenges & Collapse of Justice System The law amending the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Act was first enacted under President U Thein Sein on June 24, 2014, and later reaffirmed by the National League for Democracy government on October 4, 2016. The purpose of this law was to provide some level of protection for the rights to peaceful assembly and protest. However, there are still noticeable gaps in how well these rights are protected. A closer look at the law’s provisions shows weaknesses in legal safeguards for peaceful gatherings and ongoing restrictions on freedom of expression. This suggests that further revisions and improvements are still necessary. Since the military coup, Myanmar’s judicial system has completely collapsed. Laws are no longer enforced properly, and even lawyers and judges have lost the ability to carry out their duties. With the rule of law absent and the military placing itself above the law—changing and manipulating it at will—the rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression have been severely threatened. Meanwhile, although the people have continued their non-violent protests and anti-junta movements for over four years, the lack of strong, effective action from international organizations in response to ongoing military atrocities has pushed many oppressed civilians to turn their focus toward armed resistance. Pre-Existing Weaknesses and New Challenges & Concerning Incidents in “Liberated Areas” A review of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression in Myanmar shows that even under the civilian-led democratic government, the laws surrounding public gatherings and protests did not fully protect the people’s rights. After the military coup, these shortcomings became even more apparent as the military blatantly ignored the law and carried out widespread acts of violence. At the same time, many revolutionary groups—though committed to building a free and fair federal union and opposing the military dictatorship—lacked a clear understanding of the values and importance of peaceful protest and civil resistance. This gap has contributed to the decline in public participation in non-violent movements and peaceful demonstrations against the dictatorship. Several troubling incidents in “liberated areas” controlled by revolutionary forces highlight ongoing concerns. These include: (1) the shooting incident involving protesters in the MNDAA-controlled area in northern Shan State, Kutkai (2) the arrest of over 40-people who expressed their protest by the People’s Defence Force (PDF) in Sarlingyi Township, Sagaing Region (3) the arrest of 25-local women who staged a protest against a rare earth mining operation in the 7th Brigade area of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in Pangwa region, Hpare Village and (4) the arrest of six individuals, including members of the People’s Defense Force (PDF), Chiefs, and six people those engaged in civil disobedience, in Ye U Township. These cases raise serious questions about whether some revolutionary forces, after gaining arms and authority, may begin to mirror the oppressive tactics of the military—undermining the principles of peaceful protest and resorting instead to repression and control. https://athanmyanmar.org/the-vanishing-culture-of-the-right-to-peaceful-protest/ Page 7 of 9