The Observatory has been informed about the arbitrary detention and torture of Mr Htet Myat Aung, a student leader and prominent pro-democracy activist in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second largest city. Mr Htet Myat Aung is the former president of the Yadanabon University Students’ Union and an active member of several civil resistance coordination groups. He has been at the forefront of non-violent protests since the military coup d’état of 1 February 2021.
On 14 December 2025, Mr Htet Myat Aung was violently arrested by the military authorities in Mandalay. Before his arrest he had been subject to an arrest warrant with a bounty of 20 million kyats (approximately 8,000 Euros) on his head for his anti-junta activities. Reliable sources report that he was tortured during his arrest.
This arrest followed his participation in a peaceful silent protest on International Human Rights Day on 10 December 2025, which aimed to oppose the fraudulent elections organised by the junta.
On 3 December 2025, Mr Htet Myat Aung and nine other pro-democracy activists, were charged under Section 23(b) of the Law on the Protection of Multiparty Democratic Elections from Obstruction, Disruption and Destruction for allegedly “misleading the public regarding electoral processes” and distributing protest materials. This law, enacted by the military junta on 29 July 2025, has been widely used to arrest, charge, and prosecute critics of the elections. If convicted, Mr Htet Myat Aung risks an imprisonment of up to 10 years.
At the time of publication of this Urgent Appeal, Mr. Htet Myat Aung remains detained incommunicado in an undisclosed location in Mandalay. There is no further information regarding his situation since his arrest on 14 December 2025, raising grave and immediate concerns for his life and physical safety. The Observatory considers that this arrest is part of Myanmar military’s campaign of repression, which has targeted its opponents, including human rights defenders, student leaders, and civil society activists. Between 18 August and 12 December 2025, the junta arbitrarily arrested and detained at least 1,932 people, including peaceful protesters, politicians, human rights defenders, activists and journalists.
The Observatory strongly condemns the arbitrary detention and torture of Mr Htet Myat Aung, which appear to be a reprisal for his human rights activities as part of civil society’s struggle for democracy in Myanmar. These actions constitute a serious violation of international human rights law, including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and protection against arbitrary detention.
Therefore, the Observatory urges the military junta to immediately reveal the fate and whereabouts of Mr Htet Myat Aung, release him, and put an end to all acts of harassment against him and all other human rights defenders in the country.
How You Can Help
Please write to the members of the military junta, asking them to:
- Guarantee in all circumstances the physical integrity and psychological well-being of Mr Htet Myat Aung and all the human rights defenders in Myanmar, and ensure that they are able to carry out their activities without hindrance or fear of reprisals;
- Immediately and unconditionally release Mr Htet Myat Aung; in the meantime, disclose his fate and whereabouts and give him access to his family members and lawyers of his choice;
- Drop all the charges against Mr Htet Myat Aung and put an end to all forms of harassment, including at the judicial level, against him and all human rights defenders in Myanmar;
- Carry out an immediate, thorough, transparent, and independent investigation into the above-mentioned acts of torture against Mr Htet Myat Aung, in order to identify all those responsible, bring them before an independent tribunal and sanction them according to the applicable law;
- Ensure respect for fundamental freedoms and obligations under international human rights law, as recognised under customary international law prohibiting torture and arbitrary detention.
Please write to international and regional organisations, asking them to:
- Urge the members of the military junta to immediately and unconditionally release Htet Myat Aung, as well as to guarantee his physical integrity and psychological well-being;
- Issue public statements condemning the arbitrary detention of Htet Myat Aung and, more generally, the ongoing crackdown on human rights defenders and civil society activists in Myanmar;
- Urge the members of the military junta, bilaterally and in multilateral fora, to halt the ongoing crackdown against human r
Addresses
Military junta:
• H.E. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Services of Myanmar and Chairman of the State Administration Council; Email: cincdsmyanmar@gmail.com
• H.E. Mrs. Ei Ei Tin, Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland; Email: mission@myanmargeneva.org
• H.E. Mr. Soe Lynn Han, Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the European Union in Brussels, Belgium; Email: mebrussels@skynet.be
International and regional organisations:
• Mr. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, Twitter: @antonioguterres
• Mr. Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Email: civilsociety@ohchr.org, X: @volker_turk
• Ms. Julie Bishop, United Nations Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Myanmar, Twitter: @HonJulieBishop
• Mr. Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary-General of the Association of South East Asian Nations, Email: public@asean.org, Twitter: @ASEAN
• Ms. Kaja Kallas, European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Email: protocol.council@consilium.europa.eu, Twitter: @kajakallas
