Bawk Ja

Bawk Ja Lum Nyoi (Burmese: ဘောက်ဂျာ, born 4 December 1967[1]) is an ethnic Kachin land rights activist and politician from Burma (Myanmar).[1] She serves as the chair of the National Democratic Force's Kachin State branch.[1] She lives in Aungya village, Hpakant Township.[2][3]

Bawk Ja Lum Nyoi
ဘောက်ဂျာ
Born4 December 1967 (1967-12-04) (age 53)
Burma
Alma materYangon University
OccupationActivist, Politician
Political partyNational Democratic Force

Early life and education

She matriculated from Basic Education High School in Kyauktada Township, Rangoon.[1] In 1993, she graduated from Yangon University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History.[1]

Career

In October 2010, she led a group of Hukawng Valley farmers whose lands had been confiscated (over 220,000 acres (890 km2) of farmland), and sued Yuzana Company and its chairman Htay Myint (MP), over the illegal land confiscations.[4] Her advocacy work brought her national attention.[5]

In the 2010 Burmese general election, she contested the a seat in the Pyithu Hluttaw for the Hpakant Township constituency, running against Ohn Myint, a former military general.[4] The Union Election Commission (UEC) declared Ohn Myint the winner, despite fraud allegations and voting irregularities.[4] Ohn Myint had won the election by a margin of 7,793 votes, with a massive 13,255 votes declared invalid.[6]

On 7 January 2011, she submitted an official grievance to the UEC.[1][4] As part of a bargain between Ohn Myint, she agreed to withdraw her complaint contingent on Ohn Myint's commitment to pave roads in the township and suspend the Myitsone Dam project.[1]

In the 2012 Burmese by-elections, she announced her intent to contest the same seat (as Ohn Myint had vacated it to become a cabinet-level minister), but her constituency was among three withdrawn by the government following renewed fighting between the Burmese military and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA).[7]

In July 2013, she was arrested on politically motivated charges of negligent homicide of a man killed in 2008.[7][8] The deceased victim's wife, Kai Am, asked to withdraw the charges in September 2013.[9] She was freed on 24 January 2014.[10]

References
  1. "Daw Bauk Ja - Brief Biography". Myanma Freedom Daily. Archived from the original on 26 February 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  2. "Political Monitor No. 20" (PDF). Euro-Burma Office Political Monitor. 18 June 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 August 2013. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  3. Phanida (29 September 2011). "Bauk Ja, a Kachin activist, evades police capture". Mizzima. Archived from the original on 2014-02-25. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  4. "Land Rights Activist Bawk Ja Goes On Trial in Hpakant". Kachinland News. 20 October 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  5. "Bauk Ja receives U.S. award". Mizzima. 27 February 2012. Archived from the original on 2014-02-25. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  6. Shwe Yinn Mar Oo; Ko Ko Gyi; Thomas Kean (20 June 2011). "Election tribunal clears NDF politician". Myanmar Times. Archived from the original on 28 February 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  7. Nyei nNyein; Kyaw Kha (19 July 2013). "Activist Bauk Ja Arrested for Negligent Homicide". The Irrawaddy. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  8. Ei Ei Toe Lwin (22 July 2013). "Kachin activist Daw Bauk Ja arrested over 2008 death". Myanmar Times. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  9. Ei Ei Toe Lwin (1 September 2013). "Plaintiff asks to drop charge against activist Bauk Jar". Myanmar Times. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  10. "Kachin land rights activist turned politician Bawk Ja freed". Kachin News Group. 24 January 2014. Archived from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
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