Mya Htwee Shin, 11 March 2022

Four Rakhine University students  were released from Sittwe prison inRakhine State this morning.

Those released students are identified as Kyaw Naing Htay (information officerof Rakhine State Students' Union), U Than Naing (joint information officer ofRSSU),  Myat Soe Win (Kyaukphyu  College) and Kaung Tun (DagonUniversity of Yangon).

A source close to them informed Narinjara News that they were released from thejail at around 6 am of 11 March when their jail term gets over.

U Than Naing's father, who was involved in the process, said that his familyfelt happy and they  offered thanks  for everyone who tried to getthem released.

All the students were arrested in 2020 for protesting against the then NLDgovernment and also the Myanmar security forces in front of the Stategovernment office in Sittwe. They raised voices against the military's humanrights abuses in Rakhine.

They were charged under section 505 (b) of the defamation act against the Stateand section 29 of the disaster management law. On 16 September 2021, the Sittwetownship court sentenced them to two and half years imprisonment.

Not satisfied with the order, the students approached the Rakhine State HighCourt and  on  16 December 2021, it  reduced the prison term toone and half years.