Myanmar junta sentences activists to up to 37 years as Suu Kyi proof‑of‑life photo released

On July 29, 2026, two courts in Mandalay sentenced nine peaceful protesters to prison terms of up to 37 years under the junta’s election‑protection law and a counter‑terrorism statute. The defendants, including 24‑year‑old student‑union president Htet Myat Aung, had organized a flash rally on 3 December 2025 urging a boycott of the staged election and an end to forced conscription. A ninth activist, tried separately, received a 27‑year sentence. The mass sentencing underscores the military government’s tightening grip on dissent.

A week later, on August 3, the junta released four photographs showing deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi meeting privately with a delegate from the International Committee of the Red Cross in Naypyidaw – the first images of her in more than five years. State media announced the meeting, and the ICRC confirmed a standard‑procedure conversation. The photo release was timed ahead of senior commander Min Aung Hlaing’s first state visit to Thailand, which Thailand’s deputy prime minister welcomed, highlighting the junta’s attempt to project legitimacy amid growing regional criticism.