“Some Arakaneses have a similar desire like the Bamar in the country to have justice. The act of the military force does not represent all Bamar. Similarly, we do not accept that military force they do not represent us.”

Dr Aye Maung and author Wai Hun Aung were given 20-year imprisonment terms by the Sittwe district court for incitement and high treason, fomenting public criticism due to the long prison terms for giving speeches in public. Reporter Thet Naing from the DMG conducted an interview with a member of the Students’ Union for Eastern University Ko Min Thway Thit who was sent to jail for participating in the protest of the National Education Law.

Q: What do you think about the long-term imprisonment to Dr Aye Maung and Wai Hun Aung?

A: In my opinion, it is an intentional incitement to increase the hatred of Arakanese. The punishment does not fit the offence. Previously, an author faced such situation, but the punishment to him was not severe unlike them. And a lot of people supported it. And I think severe punishment might be decided intentionally to divert public attention that’s focused on military operations. And, I think it ignites the deep-seated resentment of Arakanese against the Bamar. This could hamper national solidarity and threaten the integration of the union.  I do not agree with the long-term punishment.

Q:  What is your opinion of the long-term imprisonment for giving speech at a literary talk when the government is walking toward democracy path?

A:  There is freedom of expression. It is a byproduct of democracy. If action needs to be taken concerning freedom expression then fair and impartial laws can be implemented.  I think their speeches were not intended to stage a coup, so they should not be charged for high treason.

And, it is necessary to observe the history of a race. In fact, buildings in Mrauk-U were destroyed by Bamar since monarchical rule. So, Arakan people should have autonomy in their region. All different races want to have self-determination. If we achieve a genuine federal union, there will not be such problems, I think.

If the majority of Bamar people accept ethnic minorities as who they are and stop their persecution, hatred by ethnic groups against Bamar people will decrease, I think. We want to see ethnic minorities allowed to have self-determination and autonomy. I believe that they should be granted these rights.

There are many countries adopting federalism and people are living peacefully. And we found that these countries are developed also. But, the Bamar population is monopolistic and insists that ethnic minorities should not separate from the Union, that could lead to increasing hatred.

Q:  What kinds of repercussions can occur due to the recent verdict amid instability in Rakhine State?

A:  Recently, the Tatmadaw troops attacked residential areas and targeted civilians in Mrauk-U, they shot off several rounds of ammunition although there is no armed group.

What we can say at the moment is that some Arakaneses have desires similar to Bamar people to have justice. The act of the military force does not represent all Bamar people. Similarly, we do not accept that military force represents us.

And, the armed conflict in Rakhine State is a fight in defense for self-determination. It is not military aggression. There are a lot of people in other parts of the country that believe its military aggression on our behalf. So, we believe people from other areas of the country are forced to make attacks on Rakhine State. So, political forces from both Rakhine State and the rest of the country need to work together to prevent growing problems. Thus, what we can currently do is create a sense of unity.

Q: Is there any possibility of tension between Arakanese and the NLD government due to the verdict?

A:  The tensions between them seem to be increasing. We found that the NLD party or the NLD government is practicing the wrong policies. They face problems with locals in Rakhine, Kachin and Northern Shan Sates.

We found that these conflict regions have big projects with foreign investments.  And the foreign investment projects supersede anything locals in these areas could do to improve their quality of life.

I think the conflicts occurred for their interest. It is not a racial conflict. It is not religious conflict. These conflicts were created by a group with their own vested interests in mind, not the Rakhine people.

Q: There is an upsurge of patriotism in Rakhine State according to the current situation. So, what can happen from the deep nationalism because of the verdict?

A:  In fact, reappearance of nationalism could bring a big danger internationally. It is not a good thing. It could lead to influence of an “ism”, like fascism in history.

We need to know the root cause of why there’s an increase in nationalism in order to settle the problem so extreme nationalism can be tranquilized.

The ongoing conflicts in Rakhine State occur for their specific interest. It is a situation we can see in a broader context. We don’t know the root cause, so we need to closely and carefully observe and identify the symptoms of nationalism or patriotism in order to remedy the existing problem. We now can ascertain a growing feeling of patriotism, but there is something below the surface.

It’s based on border issues, lack of rule of law and insecurity of the region. Only if the root causes can be settled, growing nationalism can be alleviated.

If the NLD government creates a situation by setting the wrong policies, that will put both sides at odds with each other, it will be difficult to bring about reconciliation between the Arakanese and the NLD government.

Q:   What effect can the verdict result on national reconciliation the government is trying to establish?

A:  We see a situation where actions are different from what they said. The government invited the AA to peace talks. So, all hope to hold round table talks with them.

Since we are human, we should settle problems by discussing matters as civil humans. Solving problems using weapons is not a good practice. Those who are armed with weapons in Myanmar are still practicing barbaric behavior. It is irresponsible and counterproductive to carry out wars while at the same time saying participation in peace talks is a good thing, it’s hypocritical. A dignified government or a dignified military force never does that. So, leaders of dignified organizations should fix troubles in a humane way.

Q: The duo was convicted for high treason and sedition after a giving speech in a public event. Is there any similar case in previous governments?

A: In fact, their talk is not an act leading to a high treason. Such charges are used on dissidents. Democratic countries already know this, they will issue severe charges for severe acts of dissent or sedition based on an objective and bipartisan rule of law. If such charges are used in our country, they need to fit the punishment and it is paramount that the judicial process is nonbiased and objective in cases such as these recent ones.

Q:  How should the government handle the case when Rakhine issue is complicated?

A: If peace and stability of a region is affected, the right organizations should take action. And, it needs to uphold the rule of law in the region. Also, it needs to give careful consideration to solve problems in regard to border issues. It is necessary to take the feelings of local people and international situations into consideration to resolve these problems.

Authorities should consider the deep implications of the problems and bolster the cultivation of human rights and democracy. If this can be achieved the conflict in Rakhine State will be resolved to some extent, I think.