Thousands of doctors and other healthcare communications, including those concerning workers joined the protests and refused to human rights violations committed by work under the military government, although security forces, as well as negatively many provided medical care to injured impacting humanitarian operations. protesters and to Covid-19 and other patients The military authorities closed at least five outside state hospitals. As of 31 December, independent news publications and revoked at least 12 health workers had been killed, the licences of eight media outlets. At least and 86 remained in detention. 98 journalists were arrested following the The military authorities also attacked trade coup, including three foreign journalists. One unionists, workers and civil servants who journalist, Ko Soe Naing, died while in joined protests demanding a return to custody. democracy. Workers were intimidated and At the end of the year, at least 46 journalists threatened into returning to work, and trade and other media workers remained in union leaders and workers were among those detention. This included 13 who had been arrested and killed. convicted and sentenced to terms of FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND imprisonment. ASSOCIATION In early December, a court sentenced Aung San Suu Kyi to four years’ imprisonment, The military government announced later reduced to two, on bogus charges of amendments to the Penal Code that inciting dissent and breaking Covid-19 rules. criminalized both the intent to criticize and Verdicts in relation to other charges against actual criticism of government actions. These Aung San Suu Kyi were postponed.2 included the addition of Section 505(a) which TORTURE AND OTHER ILL-TREATMENT criminalized comments that “cause fear” and spread “false news”, as well as criminalizing According to the AAPP, at least 8,338 of individuals “committing or agitating, directly those arrested since 1 February remained in or indirectly, a criminal offense against a detention as of 31 December, including 196 government employee”. As of 31 December, children. In addition to journalists, these 189 people had been convicted under included NLD party members and their Section 505(a). According to AAPP, at least relatives, peaceful protesters, members of the another 1,143 detained individuals were civil disobedience movement and other awaiting sentencing and warrants for 1,545 activists, as well as bystanders. Relatives who others had been issued, including under were able to visit family members in Section 505(a) which carries a sentence of detention reported seeing physical injuries up to three years’ imprisonment. and other signs of torture or ill-treatment. The New provisions were also introduced in the UN also documented the widespread use of Criminal Procedure Code to allow searches, torture by security forces against detainees, seizures, arrests, surveillance and in some cases resulting in death. interception of communications to take place Sexual violence and threats of sexual without warrants. violence by the security forces against The military authorities periodically imposed women, girls and in some instances men nationwide internet and telecommunications arrested during protests, were documented shutdowns, violating the right to freedom of by the UN and others, including in the expression. In areas where there were context of interrogations. Detained LGBTI military operations, such as in Hpakant people who participated in the protests, often township in Kachin State, Chin State and the under rainbow flags, were also reported to regions of Sagaing, Magway and Mandalay, have been subjected to torture including internet and WiFi services were suspended sexual violence. and, in some instances, mobile phone networks cut. This severely obstructed Amnesty International Report 2021/22 264