Court in Rakhine state sentences two anti-war protesters to a year in jail

20 November 2020
Court in Rakhine state sentences two anti-war protesters to a year in jail
Student activists hold placards during a protest against the presence of Myanmar army in Rakhine state, in Sittwe, Rakhine State, Myanmar, 19 October 2020. Photo: Nyunt Win/EPA

A court in Myanmar’s Rakhine state sentenced two anti-war student protesters to a year in jail on Wednesday, hurrying them from the courtroom before family members could see them or hear the court’s verdict, sources said on Thursday.

Kyaw Ye Thu, president of the Student Union of Pyay University, and Htet Aung, vice president of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABSFU), were convicted under Section 505(b) of Myanmar’s Penal Code and immediately sent to jail.