A court in Myanmar is scheduled to announce a verdict on imprisoned dissident Nyi Nyi Aung (Kyaw Zaw Lwin) on Wednesday. Aung spent years campaigning for Burmese democracy in exile before obtaining American citizenship. Upon a return visit, he was imprisoned and is charged with forgery, possession of undeclared foreign currency and failure to renounce his Myanmar citizenship. In December, 53 members of Congress sent a letter to Myanmar’s leader, Than Shwe, seeking Aung’s immediate release and calling his detention and trial “inconsistent with both Burmese and international law.”
Aung could face 12 years in prison. “Activists are frustrated by the lack of noise from the U.S. government when he is a U.S. citizen,” said Elaine Pearson, the deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
