Myanmar court sentences activists to 37 years over election protest

Myanmar's judicial system handed down lengthy prison sentences to nine activists convicted of protesting the military government's electoral process. Eight demonstrators, including prominent activist Htet Myat Aung, received 37-year sentences from courts in Mandalay, while a ninth activist was sentenced to 27 years. The convictions were based on violations of electoral law and counterterrorism legislation, according to statements from the Anti-Junta Forces Coordination Committee-Mandalay.

The activists were arrested on December 4 following a flash protest staged in downtown Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city. Their demonstration urged citizens to boycott upcoming elections scheduled between December 25, 2025, and January 25, 2026, and to reject mandatory military conscription. The protesters also demanded the release of political prisoners detained since the military's 2021 seizure of power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Activist spokesperson May Hnin characterized the sentences as a deliberate intimidation tactic designed to suppress dissent and consolidate military control. She stated the activists would not pursue appeals, believing the verdicts would not be overturned. Myanmar's military-backed government has not publicly responded to the sentencing decisions.

The convictions occurred within the context of increasingly restrictive legislation. In July 2025, Myanmar enacted a law prohibiting speech, organizing, protesting, or distributing materials intended to undermine the electoral process, with penalties extending to capital punishment. More than 200 individuals were charged under this law prior to the December election, which resulted in a majority victory for the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party. International observers and opposition groups characterized the election as neither free nor fair, noting the exclusion of major opposition parties.