Former Pyay University student union leader jailed for leading anti-coup protest

By DMG 01 Mar 2022

DMG Newsroom
1 March 2022, Pyay, Bago Region 

Ko Htet Aung, former chairman of the Pyay University Students’ Union, was sentenced to four years in prison under the Counter-Terrorism Law on March 1.

Ko Htet Aung, a third-year student majoring in geology at the University of Pyay in Bago Region, was arrested in Paungde town on September 6 for protesting against the military coup, which toppled Myanmar’s democratically elected government on February 1, 2021.

The Paungde Township Court sentenced him to four years in prison under Section 52(d) of the Counter-Terrorism Law nearly six months after his arrest, a member of the Pyay University Students’ Union told DMG.

“Ko Htet Aung was sentenced to four years in prison this morning. He was charged under Section 52(d) of the Counter-Terrorism Law by the military council,” he said.

In 2020, Ko Htet Aung also faced legal action after calling for an end to fighting that was occurring in Arakan State at the time. He was sentenced to one year in prison for speaking out against that conflict.

Ko Ye, a political analyst, noted that the imprisonment of politically active students was a routine part of the junta’s playbook.

“Arrests and imprisonment of university students for political activism is commonplace under military regimes in Myanmar. But now there are protests and strikes in various prisons. I’m worried that students will be oppressed for their political activities,” he added.

More than 20 students from the Pyay University Students’ Union have been jailed by the current regime under Sections 505(a) and 505(b) of the Penal Code, which cover incitement, as well as the Counter-Terrorism Law, in connection with their opposition to last year’s coup.