The Unlawful Association Act was drafted during colonial times, and it was originally used to oppress those who opposed colonial rule. It has been used by successive governments in Burma to oppress people from forming an organisation or working with organisations, which were declared illegal by the military regime. It is also most commonly used against members of ethnic minorities in Burma. Section 17/1 is the most commonly used section of this act. For example, Lahpai Gam, a farmer from Kachin State was arrested in June 2012 and was accused of being involved with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), a government opposition armed group. He was sentenced to twenty- one years in jail and released in 2018 under a presidential amnesty.
International standards
Many countries have banned organisations that are threats to peace and security. However, Burma’s Unlawful Associations Act goes beyond ensuring peace and security of the country and instead it has been predominately misused for political purposes.
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