Htin Lin Oo

In this Burmese name, the given name is Htin Lin Oo. There is no family name.
Htin Lin Oo
ထင်လင်းဦး
Born21 January 1967 (1967-01-21) (age 57)
Burma
Occupations
  • Writer
  • politician
Political partyNational League for Democracy

Htin Lin Oo (Burmese: 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.[4] He was pardoned on 16 April 2016 by President Htin Kyaw.[2]

In the aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, he was detained by the military junta.[2] On 22 February 2022, he was sentenced to three years and was released under a mass pardon in January 2023.[7]

References

  1. ^ "Political Prisoner Profile – Htin Linn Oo" (PDF). Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. 31 August 2015.
  2. ^ a b c "Htin Lin Oo". PEN America. 2 December 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  3. ^ Naw Noreen (15 January 2015). "Htin Lin Oo makes apology to Buddhist hard-liners". DVB. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Htin Lin Oo sentence 'appalling'". DVB. 4 June 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  5. ^ Myay, Chan (17 November 2014). "NLD Official Condemned After Buddhism Speech". The Irrawaddy. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  6. ^ Myay, Chan (2 June 2015). "2 Years Hard Labor for Htin Lin Oo in Religious Offense Case". The Irrawaddy. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  7. ^ "Former minister, writer among Myanmar prisoners freed in amnesty". The Straits Times. 5 January 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.