Guest Comments by the Burma Partnership Secretariat

THAILAND -- On September 4, two youths were shot execution-style in Pegu, northeast of Rangoon, Burma. The victims were Aung Thu Hein, age 22, and Soe Paing Zaw, 18. It happened at night after the youths had a minor traffic accident with a motorbike carrying two military officers.

An eye-witness said, “After arguing with local youngsters, about 10 soldiers, including officers, returned to the town with weapons, looking for the same young men. The soldiers found them near a teashop and shot them after more arguing.”

Authorities appear to be trying to minimize repercussions from the incident, which led hundreds of angry residents to gather at a hospital. Reportedly, the victims' families each were offered compensation of a million kyat (US$1,000) in return for silence.

The families were not allowed to see the bodies. At the funeral, security was extremely tight with some activists and students blocked from attending.

However, the families have expressed a wish for justice. “How can we rely on the legal system? We can't even file this case at the police station,” said one relative.

These killings give another sad and shocking example of the Burma regime's disregard for human rights and its culture of impunity. Sporadic inhumane acts by individual officers and widespread crimes against humanity by the regime go unchecked. A flawed and corrupt legal system means the people have no official mechanisms to seek justice. Worse, the system of impunity will be legalized when the 2008 constitution comes into effect after the coming elections.

In reaction to the brutal killings, state-run media called the incident merely a “drunken brawl” being exploited to spark riots. A newspaper said, "The government is now gearing up hand in hand with the people... (for) action against those elements deceiving the people into taking to the streets with the intention of destorying state stability and peace."

The Burma regime knows that such situations don't always blow over without consequences. The nationwide protests of 1988 grew from student anger at the death of a fellow student at the hands of authorities. That one incident, plus the deteriorating economy and repressive socio-political climate, led to one of the most significant uprisings in Burma's history.