Myanmar law students provide legal information to their communities
Since 2016, law students in Myanmar have been studying human rights law at East Yangon and Dagon Universities with the assistance of the Denmark-Myanmar Programme on Rule of Law and Human Rights. They mark the first group of students to receive a human rights education in over 50 years; during the country’s military rule, this had been strictly prohibited.
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With the help of the programme, human rights education in 2019 became available for law students at all law faculties in Myanmar. Human rights considerations are now gaining prominence as new generations of legal professionals’ graduate from university and bring their knowledge to the wider legal community - and society - in Myanmar. Already today, students are passing their knowledge onto others. At Dagon and East Yangon Universities, many are volunteering at the student-led legal information centres where people can receive legal information, facilitated support in negotiations with disputing parties, and referral of cases to pro-bono lawyers and other service providers – such as health clinics, and psychosocial services – as needed.
“In the legal information centres, we provide information on how to go to court and how the litigation process works and much more. We come to the university not only to learn but also to give something back to the community,” says Phone Thit Min, law student at Dagon University and volunteer at the legal information centre.
Supporting justice needs of the community
The legal information centres are open to all people in need of help in solving a dispute or legal problem, including the poor and vulnerable. While the spectrum of human rights challenges in Myanmar is broad, people who come to the centres typically seek help with issues such as domestic violence or labour rights; many are unaware of their rights or national laws, others are afraid to go to court. While most clients live close to the universities and can easily access the legal information centres, those further away can also receive support through the centres' social media channels.
“Most of the people who come to the legal information centres are women who experience domestic violence or sexual harassment in the labour market. But we also have other types of cases concerning land rights as some of our clients come from rural areas outside Yangon,” says Kyaw Lwin, law student volunteer at East Yangon University legal information centre.
Another student explains that their work in the centres is about ensuring access to justice for those people in the community who have nowhere else to turn.
“Many clients are facing poverty and they need help with a debt case. They come to us because it’s free of charge, and this is the only place they can go. But sometimes people just come for guidance before hiring a lawyer,” explains Thin Shwe Shin Min, law student volunteer at Dagon University Legal Information Centre.
Creating change from within
The legal information centres aim to teach students the practical relevance and application of the law in people’s everyday lives, melding legal theory with practical knowledge to better prepare them for entering the legal profession and facilitating access to justice for their clients. In doing so, LIC students are also supporting their surrounding communities in meeting their articulated justice needs. This includes community outreach and awareness-raising sessions and developing working relations with local justice actors.
“Reaching out to the community and raising awareness of human rights amongst the people of Myanmar is key to the democratic transition. Especially in a multi-ethnic society as Myanmar it is important to understand that all people have the same rights,” affirms the Danish Ambassador to Myanmar, John Nielsen.
Eva Grambye, Head of the International Division at the Danish Institute for Human Rights, emphasises that human rights education and the legal information centres are part of the strategy of promoting human rights abroad.
“We work with partners around the world and support them in their work to promote human rights, and therefore we are supporting human rights education in Myanmar. We are very pleased to see how the young people take it upon themselves to pass on knowledge of human rights to one another and help their fellow citizens with advice on how to fulfill their human rights. Hopefully this is the first step towards a future with greater respect for human rights in Myanmar,” says Eva Grambye.
The Embassy of Denmark in Myanmar has contracted the International Commission of Jurists and the Danish Institute for Human Rights in a joint venture to provide technical assistance and capacity building to all partners within the Denmark – Myanmar Programme on Rule of Law and Human Rights. The legal information centres have been established with the support of the Danish Institute for Human Rights working under the Denmark – Myanmar Programme on Rule of Law and Human Rights.