View source for Bawk Ja

{{short description|Burmese politician}}
{{Infobox person
| name             = Bawk Ja Lum Nyoi
| native_name      = {{lang|my|ဘောက်ဂျာ}}
| native_name_lang = my
| image            =
| caption          =
| birth_name       =
| birth_date       = {{b-da|4 December 1967}}
| birth_place      = [[Burma]]
| death_date       =
| death_place      =
| restingplace     =
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| othername        =
| occupation       = Activist, Politician
| party            = [[National Democratic Force]]
| alma_mater       = [[Yangon University]]
| yearsactive      =
| spouse           =
| children         =
| parents          =
}}
'''Bawk Ja Lum Nyoi''' ({{langx|my|ဘောက်ဂျာ}}, born 4 December 1967<ref name="mfd">{{cite news|url=http://www.mmfreedom-daily.com/?p=19574|title=Daw Bauk Ja - Brief Biography|work=Myanma Freedom Daily|access-date=22 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226074404/http://www.mmfreedom-daily.com/?p=19574|archive-date=26 February 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>) is an ethnic [[Kachin people|Kachin]] [[land rights]] activist and politician from [[Burma]] (Myanmar).<ref name="mfd"/> She serves as the chair of the [[National Democratic Force]]'s [[Kachin State]] branch.<ref name="mfd"/> She lives in Aungya village, [[Hpakant Township]].<ref name="ebopm">{{cite news|url=http://euro-burma.eu/doc/PM_No._20_-_06-07-11.pdf |title=Political Monitor No. 20 |date=18 June 2011 |work=Euro-Burma Office Political Monitor |access-date=23 February 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130817060620/http://euro-burma.eu/doc/PM_No._20_-_06-07-11.pdf |archive-date=17 August 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://archive-2.mizzima.com/news/inside-burma/6000-bauk-ja-a-kachin-activist-evades-police-capture.html|title=Bauk Ja, a Kachin activist, evades police capture|last=Phanida|date=29 September 2011|work=Mizzima|access-date=23 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225235822/http://archive-2.mizzima.com/news/inside-burma/6000-bauk-ja-a-kachin-activist-evades-police-capture.html|archive-date=2014-02-25|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Early life and education==
She matriculated from Basic Education High School in [[Kyauktada Township]], Rangoon.<ref name="mfd"/> In 1993, she graduated from [[Yangon University]] with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree in History.<ref name="mfd"/>
==Career==
In October 2010, she led a group of [[Hukawng Valley]] farmers whose lands had been confiscated (over {{convert|220000|acre|km2}} of farmland), and sued [[Yuzana Company]] and its chairman [[Htay Myint]] (MP), over the illegal land confiscations.<ref name="kln">{{cite news|url=http://kachinlandnews.com/?p=23865|title=Land Rights Activist Bawk Ja Goes On Trial in Hpakant|date=20 October 2013|work=Kachinland News|access-date=22 February 2014}}</ref> Her advocacy work brought her national attention.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archive-2.mizzima.com/news/inside-burma/6654-bauk-ja-receives-us-award.html|title=Bauk Ja receives U.S. award|date=27 February 2012|work=Mizzima|access-date=23 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225235825/http://archive-2.mizzima.com/news/inside-burma/6654-bauk-ja-receives-us-award.html|archive-date=2014-02-25|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In the [[2010 Burmese general election]], she contested the a seat in the [[Pyithu Hluttaw]] for the [[Hpakant Township]] constituency, running against [[Ohn Myint (politician)|Ohn Myint]], a former military general.<ref name="kln"/> The [[Union Election Commission]] (UEC) declared Ohn Myint the winner, despite fraud allegations and voting irregularities.<ref name="kln"/> Ohn Myint had won the election by a margin of 7,793 votes, with a massive 13,255 votes declared invalid.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mmtimes.com/2011/news/580/news58001.html |title=Election tribunal clears NDF politician |last=Shwe Yinn Mar Oo |author2=Ko Ko Gyi |author3=Thomas Kean |date=20 June 2011 |work=Myanmar Times |access-date=23 February 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228055900/http://www.mmtimes.com/2011/news/580/news58001.html |archive-date=28 February 2014 }}</ref>
On 7 January 2011, she submitted an official grievance to the UEC.<ref name="mfd"/><ref name="kln"/> 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.<ref name="mfd"/>
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).<ref name="kkk">{{cite news|url=http://www.irrawaddy.org/kia/activist-bauk-ja-arrests-for-negligent-homicide.html|title=Activist Bauk Ja Arrested for Negligent Homicide|last=Nyei nNyein|author2=Kyaw Kha|date=19 July 2013|work=The Irrawaddy|access-date=23 February 2014}}</ref>
In July 2013, she was arrested on politically motivated charges of [[negligent homicide]] of a man killed in 2008.<ref name="kkk"/><ref name="eetl">{{cite news|url=http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/7573-kachin-activist-daw-bauk-ja-arrested-over-2008-death.html|title=Kachin activist Daw Bauk Ja arrested over 2008 death|last=Ei Ei Toe Lwin|date=22 July 2013|work=Myanmar Times|access-date=23 February 2014}}</ref> The deceased victim's wife, Kai Am, asked to withdraw the charges in September 2013.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/8039-plaintiff-asks-to-drop-charge-against-activist-bauk-jar.html|title=Plaintiff asks to drop charge against activist Bauk Jar|last=Ei Ei Toe Lwin|date=1 September 2013|work=Myanmar Times|access-date=23 February 2014}}</ref> She was freed on 24 January 2014.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.kachinnews.com/news/2620-kachin-land-rights-activist-turned-politician-bawk-ja-freed.html|title=Kachin land rights activist turned politician Bawk Ja freed|date=24 January 2014|work=Kachin News Group|access-date=23 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227003714/http://www.kachinnews.com/news/2620-kachin-land-rights-activist-turned-politician-bawk-ja-freed.html|archive-date=27 February 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bawk Ja}}
[[Category:1967 births]]
[[Category:Burmese politicians]]
[[Category:Burmese activists]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:University of Yangon alumni]]
[[Category:Burmese Kachin people]]
[[Category:People from Kachin State]]