Though the organisers of the two-day workshop titled ‘Pursuing Justice in Times of Political Change: Challenges and Strategies’ applied to the Burmese Government for permission to hold the conference over two months ago they got no response until the day the workshop was due to start.

The government refused to give permission for the workshop to be held and said it must be cancelled, according to the workshop organisers.

One of the organisers, U Lwan Zaung, said: “When we need many workshops like this one to discuss and find solutions for the on-going situations and political issues, it is questionable why the government told us to cancel the workshop.”

The workshop was due to be led by the Australia Myanmar Constitutional Democracy Project and the Community of Democracy.

Despite banning the workshop in Myitkyina the government granted permission for the same workshops to be held in Naypyidaw and Rangoon.

Translated by Thida Linn

Edited in English by Mark Inkey for B