Sue Sha Shin Thant, an influential Burmese LGBT rights activist, was sentenced Wednesday to 22 years in prison by a military court controlled by the junta that has ruled the country since the February 2021 coup.
Sources close to the case have indicated in statements to the newspaper ‘The Irrawaddy’ that the young woman, who was arrested by security forces more than a year ago, has been sentenced to 20 years for terrorism and another two years in prison for incitement to violence.
The LGBTI community in Burma has been the target of reprisals by the military junta, especially for participating in the protests that have taken place in the country since the coup. Some of them have joined the armed resistance.
Shint Thant is incarcerated in a separate detention area in Obo prison, as indicated by other activists, who have stated that he can receive visits from family members.
The activist helped draft the Protection of Women from Violence Bill before the coup took place.
