Sein Than

Cases
Location of case in SG report
2015-032-001
Relevant SG report
Year of the report
2015
Country Geolocation

Latitude: 21.916221

Longitude: 95.955974

Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
Myanmar (Burma)
From Region
UN body that raised the case prior to the SG report
  • UN Special Procedures: Thematic
  • Unclear
Dates of prior UN action
12 August 2014
Type of record
Named individual
Gender
Male
Was the victim a foreign national?
No
Was the victim a minor?
No
Individual's/organization's activity

a human rights defender and leader of a movement denouncing the confiscation and demanding the restitution of Mi Chaung Kan land

Type of rights defended
  • Land rights/environment
Was the victim a civil servant, member of the security forces or of the judiciary?
No
Reported trigger of reprisal

On 31 July 2014, while on his way to the United Nations office to deliver documents for the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, in follow-up to their meeting during her visit to the country earlier that month

Engagement with UN body
  • UN Special Procedures: country
Dates of engagement
earlier in July 2014; 31 July 2014
Type of attempted engagement
  • Meeting with UN officials during country visit / with locally present UN officials
  • Submission of information to UN
Dates of mentioned reprisals
31 July 2014
Location of mentioned reprisals
Insein prison
Reprisal information

On 31 July 2014, while on his way to the United Nations office to deliver documents for the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, in follow-up to their meeting during her visit to the country earlier that month, Mr. Than was reportedly arrested with force, causing him injury, by 10 plain-clothed individuals who allegedly did not present an arrest warrant. He was reportedly subsequently detained on remand pending trial at Insein prison on charges related to the conduct of a peaceful assembly or procession without the permission of the authorities.

Types of reprisals suffered
  • Charge/Investigation/Prosecution: Trial
Alleged/likely perpetrators
State actors
Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
No
Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
No
Government response dates
27 October 2014
Government response content

In reply, on 27 October 2014, the Government affirmed that Mr. Than had been lawfully arrested, detained and sentenced for having organized processions and staged protests in different townships between March and May 2014 without prior approval (ibid.).

Is the country cited for a "pattern of reprisal" in the context of this case?
No
Is a pattern of reprisals mentioned otherwise in the context of this case?
No
Does the report cite "self-censorship" as an issue in the context of this case?
No
How many times has the case been followed up in subsequent SG reports?
0