3,000 March in Protests for Constitutional Reform

Mizzima, March 24, 2014

Nearly 3,000 people marched in six townships throughout Myanmar in simultaneous protests held on March 23 to demand amendments to the constitution.

The biggest of the marches, in Yangon’s outer Dawbon Township, involved about 1,000 protesters.

Yangon’s outer Mingalardon Township was the venue of another of the marches, with others held in Pathein, Monywa, Mandalay and Pyin Oo Lwin.

The protesters were demanding changes to provisions of the constitution that give non-elected military MPs a virtual veto over amendments to the charter and which make opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi ineligible to contest the presidency because her sons are foreign citizens.

Section 436 of the charter stipulates that constitutional amendments require the support of more than 75 percent of all members of the Union parliament, in which appointed members of the military hold 25 percent of the seats.

Article 59(f) of the constitution prevents any Myanmar whose spouse or children are foreign citizens from being eligible for the presidency. The constitution was drafted when the country was under military rule and the article is believed to have been inserted to ensure that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi could never become president.

Some of the protesters also criticised Article 59(d), which says contenders for the presidency must have military ties or be well acquainted with political and economic affairs.

“Section 59 imposes restrictions on a citizen’s eligibility to become president and is a violation of citizens’ rights and human rights,” said U Kyin Maung, an organiser of the Dawbon Township protest.

The second biggest protest took place in Pathein Township and attracted a total of about 500 people, from five villages.

A leader of the protest, U Zaw Moe, said the constitution needed to be amended because it did not meet democratic standards.

“The people do not want a constitution drawn up under the military dictatorship and which imposes restrictions on eligibility for the presidency,” U Zaw Moe, told Mizzima.

The protest in Pyin Oo Lwin attracted about 200 people, some of whom held placards reading: ‘Say NO to Section 436’, ‘We want a president chosen by the people’ and ‘Do not let the 2008 Constitution be poison for the people’.

In Mandalay, where the march attracted about 300 people, protesters called for the annulment of Article 18 of the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law, as well as constitutional amendments.

The article says that prior permission is needed from the police to hold a demonstration or protest march.

The protest in Mingalardon Township also attracted about 300 people.

A Mizzima tally shows that up until March 23 there had been 16 protests in Yangon so far this year in support of amendments to the constitution.