Myanmar Journalist Sut Ring Pan Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison on Incitement and Terrorism Charges

December 16, 2025 – Myanmar – 

Myanmar journalist Sut Ring Pan has been sentenced to 13 years in prison after being convicted on charges of incitement and terrorism, in a case that has drawn sharp criticism from press-freedom groups and human-rights advocates who say the charges are politically motivated and represent a broader assault on independent journalism in the country.

Sut Ring Pan, a respected reporter known for covering civil society issues and unrest in Myanmar’s ethnic states, was arrested in late 2023 amid the junta’s intensifying crackdown on critical media following the 2021 military coup. Authorities accused him of “incitement” under broadly defined statutes and of aligning with or supporting “terrorist” activity — allegations frequently leveled at journalists, activists, and dissidents in the country.

After a trial held in Yangon’s special courts, which rights monitors describe as lacking due-process protections, the journalist was convicted and handed a 13-year prison term. The charges relate to his reporting, interviews, and social media commentary on armed conflict, displacement, and alleged abuses by state security forces. Defence lawyers argued that his work was legitimate journalism and that the prosecution used vague national security laws to criminalize dissent.

International and local press-freedom organisations condemned the verdict as part of a systematic attempt to silence independent media. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called the sentence “draconian” and urged Myanmar authorities to release Sut Ring Pan immediately, stressing that journalists should not be jailed for their reporting. Other advocacy groups noted that Myanmar remains one of the world’s most dangerous places for independent journalists, many of whom have been arrested, forced into exile, or imprisoned since the coup.

Colleagues and supporters outside Myanmar expressed concern for Sut Ring Pan’s safety, noting that prison conditions in the country are harsh and that detainees frequently lack basic access to medical care or legal counsel. They also highlighted the chilling effect such convictions have on remaining independent journalists and citizen reporters who risk prosecution for covering protests, human-rights abuses, or armed conflict.

The conviction comes amid widespread repression of media and civil society. Since the 2021 coup, Myanmar’s junta has used a suite of security and cybercrime laws to target journalists, bloggers, and activist communicators, expanding the legal basis for arrest and detention. Many of these laws contain vague language that rights advocates say facilitates arbitrary interpretation and political persecution.

As Myanmar’s political crisis deepens, the case of Sut Ring Pan highlights the perilous environment facing journalists who seek to report independently — and the growing international concern over the erosion of basic freedoms under military rule.

Reference – 

Myanmar journalist Sut Ring Pan serving 13 years in prison on incitement, terrorism charges

Myanmar journalist sentenced to 13 years in prison in Yangon

Myanmar journalist Sut Ring Pan serving 13 years in prison on incitement, terrorism charges