Actions: Myint Soe

Myint Soe

Myint Soe is a labour activist and one of hundreds of political prisoners who remain in Burma’s jails. He was arrested in March 2013 and sentenced to 7 and half years in prison.

Myint Soe is a labour activist from Burma who campaigns for workers’ rights and helps workers to set up trade unions. He is also a former political prisoner who on three separate occasions has spent a total of 15 years in prison.

Before he was arrested in March, Myint Soe and his colleagues helped farmers in southern Burma to reoccupy their land and build temporary houses. Several years ago the government had confiscated their land. Now the area is controlled by a state-owned paper factory run by a crony company called Shwe Than Lwin.

Myint Soe was sued and falsely accused by the company that he cut eucalyptus trees in the area in order to build houses. Although Myint Soe had witnesses who provided statements that he did not cut any trees, he was arrested. He was charged under The Public Property Protection Act (1947) with the accusation of cutting the trees down, and was sentenced to 7 and half years in Thaton prison, Mon State.

Email Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire, urging the UK government to take action to ensure the immediate release of Myint Soe and the remaining political prisoners in Burma.