Former National League for Democracy (NLD) lawmaker Saw Naing has been sentenced to three years in prison under Section 505(A) of the Penal Code for “incitement” after donating food to Buddhist monks and calling for the release of ousted State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi on her 81st birthday.
The conviction was handed down on Friday by the regime-controlled South Okkalapa Township Court in Yangon Region, according to sources close to the judiciary.
Arrest following monastic alms donation
Saw Naing, who served as an NLD member of the Pyithu Hluttaw, or lower house of parliament, representing Yangon’s South Okkalapa Township from 2016 until the Feb. 1, 2021 military coup, was detained alongside his wife shortly after a June 19 social media post.
The couple was targeted after sharing photos online of an alms donation to monks, accompanied by a statement calling for Aung San Suu Kyi’s release. While Saw Naing’s wife was subsequently released, authorities pursued formal incitement charges against the former MP.
Part of nationwide ‘Flower Strike’ dragnet
Saw Naing’s arrest and rapid conviction are part of a broader, systemic regime crackdown surrounding the annual “Flower Strike” on June 19, which marks Aung San Suu Kyi’s birthday.
Flower Strike Crackdown Profile (June 18–20, 2026)
├── Total Documented Arrests: At least 32 individuals nationwide
├── Alleged Offenses: Possessing, selling, wearing, or posting flower images online
├── Key Target: Former NLD MP Saw Naing (Sentenced to 3 years under Sec 505-A)
└── Digital Dragnet: Surveillance across public markets, pagodas, and social media platforms
For the past five years, netizens in Myanmar and members of the diaspora have shared photos holding or wearing flowers every June 19 as a symbolic act of non-violent defiance to highlight Suu Kyi’s forced isolation.
Unverified whereabouts and ‘Proof of Life’ demands
Saw Naing’s conviction comes amid heightened international anxiety over the physical condition and location of the 81-year-old NLD leader and Nobel laureate:
- Unverified Transfer Claims: Regime media reported on April 30 that Suu Kyi had been relocated from Naypyidaw Prison to house arrest, but military authorities have produced no physical evidence or independent verification to her family.
- ‘Proof of Life’ Campaign: Her son, Kim Aris, launched a global “Proof of Life” campaign in April, urging ASEAN and Western governments to deny diplomatic legitimacy to regime leader Min Aung Hlaing until her well-being is independently confirmed.
- Diplomatic Rejection: During an informal meeting in Bangkok on July 12, regime Foreign Minister Tin Maung Swe claimed to Philippine Special Envoy Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro that Suu Kyi was being cared for “like a sister.” However, regime officials rejected Lazaro’s formal request to conduct an in-person wellness check.
