In response to the recent sentencing of Australian citizen Sean Turnell under Myanmar’s Official Secrets Act, Tim O’Connor, Impact Director at Amnesty International Australia, has strongly criticized the lack of fair trial procedures and access to legal representation:
“Sean Turnell, like many others imprisoned following the February 1, 2021, coup in Myanmar, has been deprived of fair trial rights and adequate legal support. The proceedings against him represent a blatant injustice, and Myanmar’s military must release him immediately to reunite with his family in Australia.”
Turnell’s conviction is part of a series of politically motivated cases orchestrated to solidify military control since the coup. Both Turnell and former civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, sentenced in a separate case, face baseless charges that Amnesty International Australia regards as unsubstantiated.
Under the oppressive military regime, arbitrary detentions and secretive trials have become commonplace. Amnesty International Australia calls for the immediate release of individuals detained without legitimate legal grounds.
Background:
Sean Turnell, a longstanding economic adviser to Myanmar’s civilian government, was arrested in Yangon shortly after the coup and has been held in various prison facilities since. His conviction, alongside Aung San Suu Kyi, underscores the targeted nature of the military’s crackdown on dissent.
Since the coup, Myanmar’s military has detained over 15,000 individuals and perpetrated violence resulting in the deaths of more than 2,300 people, as reported by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.
