Members of AEDHRN protest outside the Myanmar Embassy in Seoul, Sunday. / Courtesy of AEDHRN

By John Redmond

A group of ethnic Burmese locals based in Korea staged a one hour demonstration protesting against human rights violations inside Myanmar outside the embassy of that Southeast Asian country beginning midday on June 24.

Calling themselves the All Ethnic Democracy and Human Rights Network (AEDHRN), group members also delivered a statement concerning the death of student leader Salai Tin Mg Oo who they say was hanged without trial on June 24, 1976. Asia-Pacific spokesman for AEDHRN, Thang John Smith said the statement submitted to the embassy requests the government of Myanmar to release information regarding the death of Salai Tin Mg Oo.

The full statement, headlined “Stop human rights violations and reform to genuine democracy” was placed in the embassy’s letter box.

“We are a group of Burmese/Myanmar ethnic people based in South Korea; our organization name is called ‘All Ethnic Democracy and Human Rights Network.’ Today we are protesting our democracy and ethnic-civil rights in the front of the Myanmar embassy, in memorial of our leader - Chin student hero Salai Tin Mg Oo who was deliberately killed by Burma/Myanmar military junta due to his democracy and freedom movement.

This is the memorial of 36th anniversary of Salai Tin Mg Oo’s assassination that the military junta killed on June 24, 1976. We ‘All Ethnic Democracy and Human Rights Network’ are strongly condemning the Burma/Myanmar military government’s action for that,” stated the release.”

The group held a peaceful protest and displayed a banner reflecting their concerns.

The statement went on to address “massacred student activists” throughout the country’s past and the “destruction of a student union building.”

A delay in sending relief aid sent to victims of the 2008 cyclone is also called into question before concluding with a list of demands.

“There are permanently conflict between ethnic groups and military government in border areas. At the moment, military troops escalating war against ethnic Kachin. And religious clashes in Arakan state, which is the consequence of military rule for several decades, where the ethnic state has no chance of administering their own region properly, consequence, are now religious and ethnic clashes. Therefore we demand Burma/Myanmar military government: (1) Stop continuing war and human rights violations, and stop military interfering in civil government. (2) Admit and apologize for killing Salai Tin MaungOo; and release the remaining students and political prisoners immediately. (3) Change genuine democracy system and provide freedom from political and economic suppression.”

The group then asked the government of South Korea and the International community to support their democracy movement.

“Also we ask for support and help for the ethnic victims inside the country and asylum seekers outside the country.