Htin Lin Oo Explained

Htin Lin Oo (my|ထင်လင်းဦး; also spelt Htin Linn Oo; born 21 January 1967) is a Burmese writer and former political prisoner.^[1] He previously served as the information officer for the National League for Democracy.^[2]

On 23 October 2014, he gave a public speech in Chaung-U Township, where he criticised nationalist Buddhist monks and hardliners of stoking inter-religious tensions in the country.^{[3] [4]} The speech was denounced by Buddhist nationalists, including the Patriotic Buddhist Monks Union.^[5] In June 2015, he was sentenced to 2 years of hard labour for defaming religion and 'hurting religious feelings.'^[6] His sentencing was condemned by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. He was pardoned on 16 April 2016 by President Htin Kyaw.

In the aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, he was detained by the military junta. On 22 February 2022, he was sentenced to three years and was released under a mass pardon in January 2023.^[7]

Notes and References

1. Web site: 31 August 2015 . Political Prisoner Profile – Htin Linn Oo . Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.
2. Web site: 2 December 2015 . Htin Lin Oo . 2023-02-28 . PEN America . en.
3. News: Naw Noreen . 15 January 2015 . Htin Lin Oo makes apology to Buddhist hard-liners . DVB . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20211003130018/http://www.dvb.no/news/htin-lin-oo-makes-apology-to-buddhist-hard-liners-mabatha-nld-burma-myanmar/47368 . 2021-10-03.
4. Web site: 4 June 2015 . Htin Lin Oo sentence ‘appalling’ . 2023-02-28 . DVB . en-US.
5. Web site: Myay . Chan . 17 November 2014 . NLD Official Condemned After Buddhism Speech . 2023-03-01 . The Irrawaddy . en-US.
6. Web site: Myay . Chan . 2 June 2015 . 2 Years Hard Labor for Htin Lin Oo in Religious Offense Case . 2023-03-01 . The Irrawaddy . en-US.
7. Web site: 5 January 2023 . Former minister, writer among Myanmar prisoners freed in amnesty . 2023-03-01 . The Straits Times . en.