Myanmar: Sentencing of environmental and land rights defender Man Zar Myay Mon

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.