A regime-controlled court in Mandalay has sentenced prominent student leader Htet Myat Aung and seven other pro-democracy activists to 37 years in prison following their involvement in anti-election demonstrations.
The Yadanabon University Students’ Union (YUSU) confirmed the heavy sentences in a statement on Tuesday. The tribunal handed down a 30-year sentence under the regime’s Election Protection Law alongside a seven-year sentence under the Counter-Terrorism Law.
Judicial crackdown on student organizers
The 24-year-old activist was violently arrested by regime security forces in Mandalay Region on Dec. 14 following a high-profile anti-regime protest:
- The Anti-Election Demonstration: On Dec. 3, Htet Myat Aung joined nine other prominent activists—including renowned protest leader Dr. Tayzar San—in staging a flash-mob rally in Mandalay’s Chanmyathazi Township. The protest called on the public to boycott the regime’s 2025–26 elections.
- Severe Convictions: Htet Myat Aung and his co-defendants were formally charged under the Law on the Protection of Multiparty Democratic General Elections from Obstruction, Disruption, and Destruction (enacted in July 2025).
- Undisclosed Locations: Regime media has not publicly reported on the trial, and the identities and current holding facilities of the seven other sentenced activists remain undisclosed.
Htet Myat Aung Case Summary
├── Age / Position: 24 | Former YUSU President (2021–2023)
├── Key Roles: General Strike Coordination Body (GSCB) Member
├── Arrest Date: December 14 (Following Dec 3 Mandalay protest)
└── Total Sentence: 37 Years Imprisonment
├── 30 Years: Election Protection Law
└── 7 Years: Counter-Terrorism Law
A history of non-violent defiance
Htet Myat Aung served as president of the Yadanabon University Students’ Union from 2021 to 2023, emerging as a primary coordinator of urban non-violent resistance in Mandalay following the February 1, 2021 military coup.
As an active leader in the General Strike Coordination Body (GSCB), he repeatedly organized street rallies and silent strikes alongside regional youth networks.
Prior to his December arrest, he had already been targeted with arrest warrants and charged under Section 505(A) of the Penal Code for “criminal incitement.”
In its July 28 statement, YUSU strongly condemned the 37-year sentences as arbitrary and unjust, calling on the public to sustain peaceful civil disobedience until democratic governance is restored.
International condemnation
The sentencing has drawn sharp condemnation from human rights organizations and regional lawmakers:
- APHR Call for Release: The ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR)—a regional network of current and former lawmakers—issued an urgent appeal demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Htet Myat Aung and his fellow organizers.
- Weaponization of Election Laws: Rights groups emphasize that the regime’s Election Protection Law is being wielded systematically to criminalize peaceful assembly, silence political opposition, and imprison activists who challenge the legitimacy of the regime’s “sham” elections
