The demonstration was organized in response to the attempted rape of a Chin woman on June 10th by a Burmese soldier (personnel No. 371850) belonging to the Burmese army’s 269th Light Infantry Battalion, which is based in Chin State’s Rizua Town and is commanded by Colonel Aung Tu Win.

A women’s organization in Rizua Town applied for permission from the Rizua police station to hold a demonstration on June 15th, but their application was rejected. An application to hold the demonstration was then submitted to the Matupi police on June 19th but was rejected once again.

Undeterred by the authorities’ refusal to approve their applications, women’s’ organizations from Rizua and Matupi went ahead and organized demonstrations anyways—first in Rizua on June 23rd and then in Matupi on June 24th.

The next day (June 25th), the authorities filed a lawsuit against four leaders of the Rizua Women’s Organization; two female members of the Matupi Women’s Organization; and two male leaders of the Matupi Youth Organization. They were charged with violating Article 18 of Burma’s controversial “Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Processions Law.”

Ngun Chin Par; Sui Sui Kyi; Kaw Htwe; and Khin Khin Zi from the Rizua Women’s Organization appeared in court on June 22nd, while Thang Zing and Khin Thluai from the Matupi Women’s Organization as well as Maung Han and Tei Mang from the Matupi Youth Organization have yet to appear before court.

Although the police rejected both applications to hold a demonstration, the Chin State parliamentarian representing Matupi Township, Pu Van Cing, was informed by the NGO’s about their planned demonstrations and said that he “agreed with [their plan and supported their desire to] freely express their will as the government [has enacted laws] guaranteeing freedom of expression.”