Myanmar’s military junta released two high-profile political prisoners last week, even as it handed lengthy prison sentences to two others accused of engaging in subversive activities.
Ven. Sandar Thiri, a Buddhist monk who was arrested more than two years ago for taking part in anti-coup protests, was freed on Friday and has returned to his monastery, according to Tun Kyi of the Former Political Prisoners’ Society, a group that monitors Myanmar’s prisons.
The 53-year-old monk, who also played a leading role in the 2007 Saffron Revolution, was released after a reduction in his sentence and was in good health, Tun Kyi said.
He had been charged with incitement under section 505a of the Penal Code and sentenced to three years in prison.
Also released on Friday was Hlyan Phyo Aung, an engineering student whose three-year sentence for incitement was handed down just over a year ago, a full year after his arrest during a crackdown on protests in Magway in March 2021.
Severely injured at the time of his arrest, the 24-year-old student will require treatment for damage to his eyes that was denied to him during his incarceration.
“I am free. I will arrange to get medical treatment. So, thank you all,” he wrote on social media following his release.
Meanwhile, Dr. Hkalam Samson, the former chair of the Kachin Baptist Convention, was sentenced to six years in prison on multiple charges on Friday, according to his lawyer.
Arrested in Mandalay last December while attempting to board a flight to Thailand, he was initially charged with unlawful association and incitement, but later had terrorism added to the list of his alleged offences.a
He was found guilty on all three charges and sentenced by a junta-controlled court in Myitkyina to two years under Section 17(1) of the Unlawful Associations Act, one year under Section 505a of the Penal Code, and three years under Section 52a of the Counter-Terrorism Law, his lawyer, Daung Nan, said.
“I will appeal according to the law. I will file the appeal once the office is opened after the Thingyan holiday. We pleaded not guilty, and I don’t have any other comment,” she added.
The unlawful association and terrorism charges stem from an alleged meeting with senior figures from the shadow National Unity Government (NUG), including its president, Duwa Lashi La, in the Kachin State town of Laiza, where the headquarters of the Kachin Independence Organisation is located.
Dr. Samson had previously faced pressure from the military after he accused it of persecuting Christians during a meeting with then US President Donald Trump in Washington in 2019.
There were also reports that a special prison court in Monywa added 20 years to the sentence of protest leader Wai Moe Naing on April 5.
Arrested two years ago, he was already serving a total of 14 years in prison on a number of charges, including incitement, unlawful association, and violations of Covid-19 rules. The latest sentence includes additional prison time for robbery, rioting, and possession of a deadly weapon.
The 28-year-old still faces a charge of murder in connection with the killing of a police officer and another for treason, related to his ties to members of the NUG.
According to the latest figures compiled by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a total of 17,375 people detained since the February 2021 coup remain in junta custody for opposing its rule.
