Myanmar junta arrests 49 over roses for Aung San Suu Kyi’s birthday

Myanmar’s military junta arrested at least 49 people in June for taking part in a nationwide solidarity campaign marking Aung San Suu Kyi’s 81st birthday, as a separate campaign led by her son demanding proof of her wellbeing entered its 70th day without any response from the authorities, according to monitoring data released 13 July by Athan, a Myanmar-based freedom of expression watchdog. Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s detained former state counsellor, has been held since the military ousted her elected government in the February 2021 coup that triggered nationwide protests, a Civil Disobedience Movement, and years of armed conflict. To mark her birthday last month, citizens inside Myanmar and in the diaspora took part in the Rose Movement: Roses of Hope campaign, while her son Kim Aris separately led the Proof of Life campaign, which by June had gone more than 70 days without acknowledgment from the junta. Authorities responded to the Rose Movement with arbitrary arrests, physical assaults and rigorous stop-and-search inspections targeting people who wore roses, sold them, or shared photos of their participation online, Athan said. The group’s data show the majority of those detained were youths and students, with Monywa Township, in Sagaing Region, recording the highest number of arrests. At least one of the 49 is being prosecuted under Section 505(a) of the Penal Code, a provision frequently used against government critics. Beyond the Rose Movement, broader restrictions on expression and information-sharing continued through the month, Athan’s documentation shows. After junta leader Min Aung Hlaing — who took the title of “president” in April following a tightly managed election criticized as fraudulent — appointed a new spokesperson in June, a woman in her 60s was arrested for posting critical comments about the appointment online. In total, four people were detained during the month for writing critical comments or sharing anti-military posts on social media, separate from the Rose Movement cases. On 18 June, a special court inside Insein Prison sentenced National Literature Award-winning author U Tin Nyunt and his son to three years in prison each under Section 505(a), on incitement charges for allegedly defaming the state. Telecommunications restrictions also persisted last month. Athan recorded ongoing phone and internet shutdowns across 138 townships. In Dawei, residents face an additional layer of restriction: mobile lines that are not registered or taxed are being systematically cut off, with SIM cards deactivated if not registered within 30 days of insertion under the military’s Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) system. The policy falls hardest on people returning from abroad with foreign-purchased handsets and those with unregistered devices, who must pay up to 10,000 kyats (about $3.20) in service fees and taxes at phone shops to keep their lines active. Athan said public understanding of the CEIR system itself remains limited. Access to satellite internet has become a further flashpoint, and not only with the junta. In Buthidaung Township, in Rakhine State, an area controlled by the Arakan Army (AA), residents have called for more Starlink terminals and expanded licensing permits. In Kani Township, Sagaing Region, the opposition National Unity Government’s (NUG) local administration team drew pushback from internet cafe operators after raising usage tariffs and imposing new fees on Starlink access without prior consultation, creating operational difficulties for the businesses. Taken together, Athan said, the military’s blockades and restrictions on internet access, combined with licensing rules and taxes imposed on Starlink use by ethnic armed organizations and revolutionary groups, are restricting the public’s right to seek, receive and share information — a right the group described as a fundamental pillar of freedom of expression.