UWN contributor sentenced to three years’ prison

University World News (UWN) was shocked to hear of the sentence meted out to journalist Sithu Aung Myint in Myanmar on Friday 7 October of three years in prison with hard labour.

Sithu Aung Myint was a contributor to UWN from Myanmar in 2015-16 and a well-known journalist and commentator in Myanmar for both local and international outlets. The conviction for ‘incitement’ was handed down by a closed-door court inside Yangon’s Insein Prison where he has spent over a year after being arrested in August 2021.

The arrest, detention and sentencing is part of a crackdown on journalists since the February 2021 coup. Other charges are still pending against Sithu Aung Myint that could extend his prison term even further, according to a family member.

“University World News condemns the decision in Myanmar to sentence Sithu Aung Myint, who has written several articles for us in the past, to three years in prison with hard labour. We condemn all attempts to silence students, academics and defenders of democracy through the use of force or without a fair trial,” said UWN Editor in Chief Brendan O’Malley on Sunday.