Sth Korea arrest Karen youth leader

Saw Hlaing Myo, a chairman of the Karen Youth Organization’s (Korea) based in South Korea has been accused of working illegally and arrested by the Korean government. Local sources confirmed Saw Hlaing Myo is been detained at Incheon’s Immigration Department, Incheon State.

The secretary of KYO [Sth Korea], Saket Netmoe, said Saw Hlaing Myo Thein was seeking for political asylum in South Korea, but he was working at a car accessories factory in the Shinoh Industrial Zone, in Ansan State on April 22. Authorities arrested him because he broke Korean law and should not be working during the asylum period.

Speaking to Karen News, Saket Netmoe said.

“Even though the Korea government says that people cannot work while seeking political asylum, there is no [State] help for them. If they don’t work, they cannot survive, but when they do work, they are arrested – it is not fair.”

According to local sources, Korea’s famous human rights attorney, Mr Lisanhee, who has been to the Thai-Burma Border and is assisting he KYO’s with Saw Hlaing Myo indictment, criticized the Korean government’s action as not being unjust and said the government needs to restructure its law that prohibits asylum seekers from working.

The KYO’s Saket Netmoe said.

“To protest the unfair arrestment, Mr Lisanhee, will invite people from the Korea media. He has a plan to hold a [media] conference. The [South Korean] government has given political asylum to other ethnic groups, but has not included the Karen.”

The KYO [South Korea] said media groups from South Korea and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) have visited the Thai-Burma Border to learn about the Karen situation.

Meanwhile, the Korea government has not extended a visa to the KYO’s joint secretary [South Korea] Sa’ Kyi Thet Tun – his visa expired in April.

The KYO [South Korea] was formed in 2009 and its charter is based on the four principles laid out by the late Karen National leader, Saw Ba U Gyi’s.