Thursday, March 28th 2024

Four Rakhine university students released from Sittwe jail



Mya Htwee Shin, 11 March 2022

Four Rakhine University students  were released from Sittwe prison in Rakhine State this morning.

Those released students are identified as Kyaw Naing Htay (information officer of Rakhine State Students' Union), U Than Naing (joint information officer of RSSU),  Myat Soe Win (Kyaukphyu  College) and Kaung Tun (Dagon University of Yangon).

A source close to them informed Narinjara News that they were released from the jail at around 6 am of 11 March when their jail term gets over.

U Than Naing's father, who was involved in the process, said that his family felt happy and they  offered thanks  for everyone who tried to get them released.

All the students were arrested in 2020 for protesting against the then NLD government and also the Myanmar security forces in front of the State government office in Sittwe. They raised voices against the military's human rights abuses in Rakhine.

They were charged under section 505 (b) of the defamation act against the State and section 29 of the disaster management law. On 16 September 2021, the Sittwe township court sentenced them to two and half years imprisonment.

Not satisfied with the order, the students approached the Rakhine State High Court and  on  16 December 2021, it  reduced the prison term to one and half years.

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