Case History: Patrick Khum Jaa Lee
On 14 October 2015, human rights defender Mr Patrick Khum Jaa Lee was arrested at his home in Rangoon’s Hlaing Township. He is currently being detained in the Rangoon’s Insein prison and charged of defamation of the Myanmar Army for sharing a photo on social media.
On 1 April 2016, Patrick was released from prison following a 6 month sentence.
Patrick Khum Jaa Lee is a human rights defender who provides support to internally displaced people forced to flee due to the ongoing conflict in northern Myanmar. Currently he is working for a project called “Adapt”, providing research on the conflict in the region and raising awareness about the peace-building process. He is the husband of the human rights defender Ms May Sabe Phyu, who advocates for women rights and gender equality
On 14 October 2015, human rights defender Mr Patrick Khum Jaa Lee was arrested at his home in Rangoon’s Hlaing Township. He is currently being detained in the Rangoon’s Insein prison and charged of defamation of the Myanmar Army for sharing a photo on social media.
On 14 October 2015, at approximately 7pm the human rights defender was arrested at his home in Rangoon’s Hlaing Township by five plain-clothes police officers from the Hlaing police station. Upon arrest, his laptop and phone were confiscated. He is currently being detained in the Rangoon’s Insein prison, as his bail petition was rejected. The next court hearing is scheduled for 27 October.
He was informed that representatives of the Myanmar Army filed a law suit accusing him of defamation under Article 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law. The accusation relates to a photo picturing a man wearing a longyi (clothes typically worn in the Kachin region) stepping on a portrait of Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. If found guilty, he could face up to three years imprisonment.
The detention and prosecution of human rights defenders is common in Myanmar. On 9 October 2015, the Mandalay’s Amarapura Township Court sentenced four students and human rights defenders to three months in prison on charges. Earlier, in May 2015, the Dagon Township Court in Rangoon sentenced six human rights defenders to four years and four months' imprisonment for their participation in a peaceful protest. Over 50 detained protesters are facing charges related to unlawful assembly, rioting, harming public servants, and public mischief for their involvement in protests in Letpadan to oppose Myanmar’s National Education Law.
