Stroy from Myanmar: Extending The Rule of Law in Yangon

In Myanmar, the rapid development since 2011 have left many disadvantanged in the shadow. The FK South-South exchange between Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia try to improve the legal rights for those who have none.

In the corner of Seikkanthar and Merchant Street in Yangon city, up two stories and behind a green door, you will find Yangon Justice Centre. For many, this is the only opportunity to find legal aid, unless you can pay for your own lawyer. FK participants Maruli Tua from Indonesia and Sai Awan from Thailand have been working here for four months.

Over a cup of coffee, in a dimly lit meeting room, they speak relentlessly of all the work needed to get Myanmar’s legal system in shape, and all the commonalities they see from home.

Common challenges

In Thailand I met migrant worker organisations, helping them in the Thai legal system. Immediately upon arrival, I saw similar problems here, Sai says.

One of my first tasks was to address the rights of sex workers in the legal system, Maruli continues. He explains that in Myanmar, a sex worker can be imprisoned for three years while the customer is only regarded as a witness. Apart from heavy discrimination, this shows how far the legal system is from treating citizens as equals before the law.

Yangon Justice Centre was opened in 2012 and is a cooperation between independent lawyers and U Kyaw Myint Law Firm, an FK partner. The establishment has been far from easy, in a country undergoing a shaky development towards democracy.

Our biggest challenge for the Centre is to prove to the authorities that we are working for the disadvantaged, and not against the government, says U Kyaw Myint, lawyer and partner in the Centre.

Our aim is therefore to establish trust from both clients and authorities. In addition we try to address the problems as a pattern, and not only as individual cases. This is the only way we can help Myanmar develop as a society ruled by law, he concludes.

The Law Is Not Equal For All

Sai and Maruli continue explaining how they find and support their clients in legal issues, or help them meet local authorities. All families with a shared income of less than 300 dollars a year can apply for help from the Centre.

Maruli draws on experiences he and others made in Indonesia’s democratisation after the end of Suharto’s regime in the early 2000’s.

Democratisation is needed if decisions within society are to be tested and proven right. When casinos are illegal here, but the military continues to build casinos wherever they want, the law obviously is not equal for all.

But as FK participants from fellow Asian countries, we can disguise as locals, learn and observe. This way we gather information and know better how to help, Sai says

Source: FK Norway's Annual Report 2014.