--- description: A group of Burmese activists accused of insulting civil servants and refusing to disperse at a Burma protest have been charged and face jail title: Burmese Students, Activists Charged for 'Illegal' March image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6e0637bc500235db/69878556cd684805ef09a54e/ap142730370887.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Burma](/tag/burma/) ## Burma Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Seventy Burmese Students, Activists Charged for Taking Part in 'Illegal' Rally by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 26, 2015 7:51 AM CUT  Burmese activist on March 21, 2015, at the bank of Innya Lake in Rangoon, Burma Burmese activist on March 21, 2015, at the bank of Innya Lake in Rangoon, BurmaKhin Maung Win—AP by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 26, 2015 7:51 AM CUT Dozens of protesting Burmese activists and students are facing jail time on [charges](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32046136 "undefined") of insulting civil servants and refusing to disperse at an illicit demonstration. The 70 protesters face up to six years in jail after violence broke out during a march from Mandalay to Rangoon calling for educational reforms, reports the BBC. Although it was technically illegal, authorities had let the rally pass until they reached the town of Letpadan. There, incensed by the presence of a police line, the group attempted to break through. Scores of students were injured in the ensuing confrontation. In one photo, four police prepare to strike an unarmed, prone man with their batons. The quasi-civilian government of Burma, officially now known as Myanmar, insists it is legitimately prosecuting participants in the mid-March protests. However, critics see the case as proof of the Southeast Asian nation’s lingering authoritarianism despite the much-lauded transition from junta rule. “People’s expectations are high because we’re a country in transition, but you can’t fulfill everything in one term,” said Burmese President Thein Sein told the BBC. More charges relating to the protests are expected in coming weeks. \[[_BBC_](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32046136 "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3759412/burma-activists-education-reform-confrontation/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3759412/burma-activists-education-reform-confrontation/"},"headline":"Seventy Burmese Students, Activists Charged for Taking Part in 'Illegal' Rally","datePublished":"2015-03-26T07:51:29.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T05:27:23.181Z","description":"They face up to six years in prison for protesting an education bill they saw as regressive","url":"https://time.com/3759412/burma-activists-education-reform-confrontation/","keywords":["Burma","protests","myanmar","dictatorship"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6e0637bc500235db/69878556cd684805ef09a54e/ap142730370887.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6e0637bc500235db/69878556cd684805ef09a54e/ap142730370887.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Burmese activist on March 21, 2015, at the bank of Innya Lake in Yangon, Burma.","caption":"Burmese activist on March 21, 2015, at the bank of Innya Lake in Yangon, Burma.","creditText":"Khin Maung Win—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/burma/","name":"Burma"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3759412/burma-activists-education-reform-confrontation/","name":"Seventy Burmese Students, Activists Charged for Taking Part in 'Illegal' Rally"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Global Risks You Should Care About Right Now","description":"A yearly look ahead about what you should—and shouldn’t—worry about in the geopolitical and economic landscape for 2015","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/PqXWqYtA/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-01-13T22:16:32.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/PqXWqYtA.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3759412/burma-activists-education-reform-confrontation/","duration":"PT4M20S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3759412/burma-activists-education-reform-confrontation/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```