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Students detained for pre-coup anti-war protest released from Rakhine prison

Four students who were arrested before last year’s coup for an anti-war protest in Rakhine were released from prison after one and a half years on Friday. 

Kyaw Naing Htay, Oo Than Naing, Myat Soe Win and Kaung Tun were detained in the state capital of Sittwe in October 2020 during a protest against the military’s ongoing attacks in the state. 

Demonstrators at the rally outside a local government building held signs reading “We don’t want the fascist army,” “We don’t want a colonial government,” and “No Bloody Government, Burmese Government Get Out”.

The National League for Democracy (NLD) government at the time was a vocal supporter of the military’s war against the Arakan Army (AA). State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi’s administration reportedly called on the military to “crush” the group.   

The four students left Sittwe Prison at around 6am after having their sentences reduced, an executive committee member of the Arakan Students’ Union said.

“They had been actually given a two-year-and-six-month sentence but their terms were reduced by one year and they had already served one and a half years, so they were released today,” he told Myanmar Now. “I’m very happy about their release.” 

The four students were set free on Friday morning (Supplied)

Kyaw Naing Htay’s older brother, Kyaw Min Htay, confirmed the students had been released. “I don’t want to say much but I’m very happy to see them free and in good health,” he told Myanmar Now. 

The students were jailed for incitement as well as for allegedly breaching Covid-19 restrictions with the protest. Following an appeal, the court agreed to reduce their sentences in December.  

They were denied bail during their trial on the grounds that breaches of the disaster management law that covers Covid-19 restrictions were not bailable. 

Several legal aid teams including the Rakhine Lawyers Council, the Sittwe District Lawyers Association, Thazin Legal Aid, and the Legal Clinic Myanmar strongly criticised that decision. 

At the time of their arrest the military’s war against the AA had been raging for almost two years, displacing tens of thousands and wounding or killing hundreds of civilians. Amnesty International accused the military of war crimes during the clashes. 

After the students’ arrests, the NLD government ignored calls from civil society groups and human rights campaigners to pardon them. 

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