Myanmar court sentences student union member to another 5 years in prison

A junta-controlled court in Yangon region has sentenced a student to a further five years in prison for alleged terrorism, a Myanmar-based student union told RFA Monday.

Nyan Win Htet, in his twenties, was a student at the University of East Yangon until his arrest on June 30, 2022. He was sentenced by Eastern Yangon District Court last Tuesday.

“The fascist army is fully responsible for the arbitrary and violent arrests, imprisonments and brutal killings of students from ABFSU, students and people across the country,” said the information officer of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions, who didn’t want to be named for fear of reprisals.

“Arresting revolutionaries, imprisoning and killing them will not stop the revolution. We will continue to fight until the end.”

Nyan Win Htet had already been sentenced to 15 years in prison under two sections of  the Counter-Terrorism Law which cover the possession of explosives and helping terrorists evade arrest.

He is in good health in prison and has been in contact with his family, said the union information officer.

The officer added that more than 50 of the union’s members have been arrested for their anti-dictatorship activities since the coup, and 32 are being held in prison.

Among them, three were sentenced to a maximum of life imprisonment, and one was sentenced to death, according to the union.

Nearly 24,000 people, including pro-democracy campaigners, have been arrested nationwide since the February 2021 coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma).

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang.