Myanmar military pardons actor Paing Takhon for supporting pro-democracy protests
In December, he was sentenced to prison for three years for spreading dissent against junta
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Your support makes all the difference.Paing Takhon, a prominent celebrity actor and model who was jailed for taking part in pro-democracy protests, has been pardoned and released by Myanmar’s junta.
The 25-year-old had participated in anti-military protests that rocked the country following the February 2021 coup and voiced his criticism on social media.
He was arrested from his mother’s home in April by over 50 soldiers. In December, he was sentenced to prison for three years with “hard labour” for spreading dissent against the junta government.
The actor’s Instagram and Facebook accounts, which had more than a million followers, were taken down by the military after his arrest in April.
“Paing Takhon has arrived back home,” a lawyer for the celebrity was quoted by Eleven Myanmar as saying.
The junta also confirmed the release of film stars Pyay Ti Oo, Eaindra Kyaw Zin, Lu Min, director Wyne and social influencer Win Min Than, who were all sentenced to three years in prison for the same charges.
Spokesperson of the state administration council, Major General Zaw Min Tun, had earlier announced that “they will be pardoned as usual”.
Ei Kyaw Zin, the sister of actress Eaindra Kyaw Zin, confirmed on Facebook that they have returned home in good health and thanked everyone for their prayers.
The south Asian country is grappling with civil strife since the junta, led by Min Aung Hlaing, ousted the democratic government in a coup d’etat on 1 February 2021, after alleging fraud in an election that Aung San Suu Kyi’s party had won. Independent observers had insisted that the ballot was fair.
Following the coup, the junta published a list of 120 celebrities wanted for arrest.
Security forces have tried to throttle a nationwide nonviolent protest against the junta, by killing more than 1,500 people.
Meanwhile, on Monday, four student leaders held in Yangon’s Insein Prison for almost a year were sentenced to three years with hard labour for taking part in protests, Myanmar Now reported.
The state government of India's northeastern state of Mizoram, which shares a border with Myanmar, announced that it had given shelter to 24,289 refugees till last month.
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