[{"command":"settings","settings":{"pluralDelimiter":"\u0003","suppressDeprecationErrors":true,"ajaxPageState":{"libraries":"core\/picturefill,entity_embed\/caption,views\/views.ajax,views\/views.module","theme":"hrw_design","theme_token":null},"ajaxTrustedUrl":[],"views":{"ajax_path":"\/views\/ajax","ajaxViews":{"views_dom_id:blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__283007__en":{"view_name":"blog_live_feed","view_display_id":"blog_body_block","view_args":"283007","view_path":"\/blog\/content\/283007","view_base_path":null,"view_dom_id":"blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__283007__en","pager_element":0}}},"user":{"uid":0,"permissionsHash":"0ae5601d8790ff50fca3cf23b9ac9170285f2f75823ebdc8d9cc054bc03a679b"}},"merge":true},{"command":"add_css","data":"\u003Clink rel=\u0022stylesheet\u0022 media=\u0022all\u0022 href=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/css\/css_reI-6YIYy-k9pvxm-gaCRrn5cSrTZRtyAMrp4YXDUJw.css\u0022 \/\u003E\n"},{"command":"add_js","selector":"body","data":[{"src":"\/sites\/default\/files\/js\/js_VkK39bvB4H6LLVemwPFz8QWcUMTFqZ3FFo_LBVv_4vs.js"}]},{"command":"insert","method":"replaceWith","selector":".js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__283007__en","data":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__283007__en\u0022\u003E\n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Cdiv class=\u0022blog-block__content__description rich-text pt-6 mb:pt-10 mx-auto\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003E(Mandalay) - Later today, Zaw Zaw Latt, a Muslim interfaith activist and prominent officer in the National League for Democracy (NLD) youth wing, will appear once again at the Chan Aye Thar Zan Township courthouse in Mandalay. He was arrested at a teashop on July 14 on charges of unlawful association and illegal border crossing. Police also arrested Pwint Phyu Latt and Zaw Win Bo, two fellow activists from the Thint Myat Lo Thu Myar (Peace Seekers) group, shortly after.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tThe basis for the arrest has been linked to photos that Zaw Zaw Latt posted on Facebook of himself posing with a rifle during an interfaith project in Laiza, Kachin State in June 2013. He is being charged under article 17\/1 of Unlawful Associations Act, a vague and draconian law which outlaws contact with \u201cunlawful\u201d groups. Mandalay officials and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) have declined to clarify the criminal charges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003E\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed align-right embedded-entity embedded-entity-type-media embedded-entity-bundle-image embedded-entity-viewmode-embeddable embed--right\u0022\u003E\n \n\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \n \n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\u0022figure figure--expand text-center\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022figure__media relative inline-block mx-auto\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ca href=\u0022\/modal\/26453\u0022 rel=\u0022modal:open\u0022 class=\u0022figure__link\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cimg srcset=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/480w\/public\/multimedia_images_2015\/zawzawlatt.jpeg?itok=vo4jRrNT 480w, \/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2015\/zawzawlatt.jpeg?itok=fexJ9V4A 850w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(max-width: 524px) 100px, 500px\u0022 data-responsive-image-style=\u0022embedded_images\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2015\/zawzawlatt.jpeg?itok=fexJ9V4A\u0022 width=\u0022850\u0022 height=\u0022638\u0022 alt=\u0022Interfaith activist Zaw Zaw Latt. \u0022 loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 typeof=\u0022foaf:Image\u0022 \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022figure__expand absolute block bottom-0 right-0 w-8 h-8 bg-white text-gray-700\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022sr-only\u0022\u003EClick to expand Image\u003C\/span\u003E\n \n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022icon fill-current w-full inline-block\u0022\u003E\n \u003Csvg viewbox=\u00220 0 20 20\u0022 fill=\u0022currentColor\u0022 role=\u0022img\u0022 focusable=\u0022false\u0022 aria-hidden=\u0022true\u0022\u003E\u003Cuse xlink:href=\u0022\/themes\/custom\/hrw_design\/dist\/app-drupal\/assets\/spritemap.svg?cacheBuster=#sprite-expand\u0022\u003E\u003C\/use\u003E\u003C\/svg\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/a\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022figure__info text-left font-serif text-xs md:text-sm lg:text-base mx-auto text-gray-700 mt-1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022figure__caption\u0022\u003EInterfaith activist Zaw Zaw Latt.\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022figure__credit\u0022\u003EFacebook\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tZaw Zaw Latt\u2019s family and supporters point to layers of motivating factors for the government\u2019s persecution: his religion; his visibility as a Muslim community leader and partner of like-minded progressive monks; his role in mediating local conflicts spearheaded by extremist Buddhists; the nationalist group Ma Ba Tha\u2019s influence over the police and judiciary; and his closeness with core NLD members in Mandalay.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tThe opposition party has been silent on the case, and his family says that none of his NLD peers have visited the prison or court. Zaw Zaw Latt\u2019s sister thinks their distance is due to fear of facing arrest themselves. A local activist involved in the case told Human Rights Watch, \u201cThe NLD is quiet because it would hurt their election chances. They are very cautious about the Ma Ba Tha\u2019s influence.\u201d This \u201ccaution\u201d has also been \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.irrawaddy.org\/election\/news\/nld-blocked-muslim-candidates-to-appease-ma-ba-tha-party-member\u0022\u003Esuggested\u003C\/a\u003E by prominent members as the rationale for the NLD\u2019s rejection of all 15 Muslim candidates who submitted bids to run on the party\u2019s roster.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tLast December the NLD was similarly quiet when its then-information officer Htin Lin Oo was arrested for \u201cacts intended to outrage religious feelings\u201d after discouraging hate speech and bigotry in the name of Buddhism. The NLD expelled him from the party. In July he was \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.irrawaddy.org\/burma\/2-years-hard-labor-for-htin-lin-oo-in-religious-offense-case.html\u0022\u003Esentenced\u003C\/a\u003E to two years in prison with hard labor.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tBoth Zaw Zaw Latt and Htin Lin Oo are champions of peace building and interfaith engagement, making them targets both of religious extremism and of neglect by those fearful of the Ma Ba Tha\u2019s growing power.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EOutside the Sagaing court after his sentencing, amid a crowd of about 80 Ma Ba Tha monks and members, Htin Lin Oo \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.irrawaddy.org\/burma\/2-years-hard-labor-for-htin-lin-oo-in-religious-offense-case.html\u0022\u003Estated\u003C\/a\u003E: \u201cWhat I said was for love and peace between different communities with different faiths. I received two years\u2019 imprisonment for that, but I won, because I can reveal the people behind all of this hate.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n","settings":null}]