Su Su Nway

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Su Su Nway (Burmese: Image:SuSuNway.png; MLCTS: cu. cu. nwe:; IPA: [sṵ sṵ nwé]; born 1971; also known as Su Su Nwe), a democracy activist and member of the National League for Democracy (NLD), is the first Burmese national to have successfully sued local government officials under a 1999 law that prohibits forced labour. The law was issued by Minister of Home Affairs, Col. Tin Hlaing on 14 May 1999.[1] Nway filed a complaint after she, along with other villagers, were forced into working on a road construction project by the local Village Tract Peace and Development Council.

Su Su Nway is from Htan Manaing village, Kawhmu Township (located 50 mi from Yangon), in Yangon Division. The case, filed by Su Su Nway, was pursued by NLD lawyers. On 3 September 2004, Sein Paw was sentenced to 16 months in prison, whilst Kyaw Thin, Myint Thein, and Aung Khin were sentenced to eight months in jail each. They were all members of local Village Tract Peace and Development Councils (PDC). Subsequently, the new town chairman charged her of harassment and defamation, and she was sentenced to an 18-month term at Insein Prison. In February 2006, with the aid of legal counsels, Nway attempted to appeal to the Supreme Court, located in downtown Yangon, but her case was rejected, after having appealing to district courts that rejected her cases.[2] She was released on 6 June 2006, as a result of international pressure from the United States government, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the United Nations, and NGOs.[3]

Su Su Nway was orphaned as a child, and has a heart condition. She received a human rights award from NLD in 2005.[4].

She was awarded the John Humphrey Freedom Award in 2006. [5]

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ BURMA: Complaints against forced labour blocked and victims punished. Asian Human Rights Commission (2004-09-03). Retrieved on 2006-06-07.
  2. ^ "Burmese junta rejects human rights defender case", BBC News, 2006-02-02. Retrieved on 2006-06-07. 
  3. ^ Aung Lwin Oo. "Burmese human rights defender released", The Irrawaddy, 2006-06-06. Retrieved on 2006-06-07. 
  4. ^ Political Prisoner Su Su Nway’s Case Submitted to the UN. Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) (2006-10-17). Retrieved on 2006-06-07.
  5. ^ Aung Lwin Oo. "Labor Activist Awarded Freedom Prize", The Irrawaddy, 2006-09-01. Retrieved on 2006-09-02. 

[edit] External links

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