The
Observatory has been informed about the sentencing of Mr Man
Zar Myay Mon,
an environmental and land rights defender, member of the Myanmar
Alliance for Transparency and Accountability (MATA)1
and of the Subnational Coordination Unit (SCU) of the Extractive
Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI)2
in Sagaing Region. He was a leading figure of peaceful anti-coup
protests in Chaung-U Township, Sagaing Region, following the military
coup on February 1, 2021.
On
October 18, 2023, the Monywa Prison Court sentenced Man Zar Myay Mon
to 11 years in prison, on three counts under Articles 50(a), 51(c),
and 52(a) of the Counter-Terrorism Law, including “possession or
distribution of explosives”. This sentence followed a previous
10-year prison sentence imposed on him for “incitement” under
Article 505(a) of the Penal Code in 2021, bringing his total sentence
to 21 years in prison.
At
the time of publication of this Urgent Appeal, Man Zar Myay Mon
remained imprisoned in Monywa Prison, Sagaing Region, where he has
been arbitrarily detained since his arrest in June 2021.
The
Observatory recalls that Man Zar Myay Mon was charged in March 2021
with “incitement” under Article 505(a) of the Penal Code for his
participation in the demonstrations, and an arrest warrant was issued
against him, which forced him to go into hiding for two months with
his wife in Shan Htoo Village, Chaung-U Township, Sagaing Region. On
June 8, 2021, Man Zar Myay Mon was violently
arrested
by Tatmadaw soldiers while he was attempting to flee Shan Htoo
Village, following a raid by security forces. Man Zar Myay Mon was
held at the headquarters of the Tatmadaw’s Northwestern Command in
Monywa, Sagaing Region, where he had his fingers
broken
during interrogation. After five days of interrogation, he was
transferred to be detained in Monywa Prison.
The
Observatory recalls
that Man Zar Myay Mon worked
for many years
to promote accountability of the extractive industries for the
benefit of local communities. He led a regional mining investigation
and helped inform the development of mining legislation in Sagaing
Region. Throughout this process, he helped uncover many instances of
corruption among government officials. He was also active as one of
the community leaders in the Letpadaung mine protests in Sagaing
Region.3
Since
his arrest, the United
Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights
Defenders and
the UN
Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar
expressed deep concern about Man Zar Myay Mon’s arrest and
detention.
The
Observatory condemns the convictions and prison sentences of Man Zar
Myay Mon, which seem to be only aimed at punishing him for his
legitimate human rights activities, and urges the military junta to
overturn his conviction, immediately release him, and put an end to
all acts of harassment - including at the judicial level - against
him and all other human rights defenders in the country.
The
Observatory further expresses its utmost concern regarding the
torture to which Man Zar Myay Mon has been subjected during his
detention and alerts on the high risk of further acts of
ill-treatment and torture he
is facing while in military custody. The Observatory urges the
military junta to guarantee his physical integrity and psychological
well-being in all circumstances.
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