A concerned group of individuals from the Karen National Union (KNU) issued a statement demanding the release of Naw Ohn Hla and two other Karen youth who were arrested by the government to prevent future organizing of a historical event.

“The Karen Martyrs’ Day is not only a special day for the Karen people but we have accepted it as the day that represents the entire Karen people. They got arrested for holding the event, and it has become a concern for our national affair,” said Naw Si Pho Ra Sein a group leader with the KNU group concerned with the arrest.

Event leader Naw Ohn Hla, and Sa Thein Zaw Min and Saw La Bwe Cho were involved in organizing the 69th Karen Martyrs’ Day event held between Yangon City Hall and Maha Bandula Gardan on August 12th. The three were detained under the Peaceful Assembly Act (Section 20) and the Kyauktada Township court began an inspection of the case on September 18th.

“We Karen people want peace and want to live peacefully. Just holding the Karen Martyrs’ Day event is not guilty enough to be chargeable, so we want to request to release them [Naw Ohn Hla and two other people],” said Naw Si Pho Ra Sein.

The Karen National Union (KNU) Committee released a statement on September 16th calling for the government to drop all charges against the Karen Women’s Union (KWU) chairperson Naw Ohn Hla and others who face similar charges organizing the 69th Karen Martyrs’ Day.

The Karen Martyrs’ Day has been commemorated from generation to generation as a way to recognize the entire community. The KNU urged that “people in the nation should acknowledge the national identity of all ethnic minorities along with culture, literature, language and unique history, and Myanmar needs to acknowledge ethnic identities and to develop the federal union.”

More than 280 civil society groups collaborated to issue statements requesting the release of Naw Ohn Hla citing a section of the Protection of National Race Rights Law (article 3 section 4 (d) which allows people to celebrate their traditional and historical days. The letter urges the government to address unethical political actions and to release Naw Ohn Hla from detention.