Burma's State Administration Council sentenced four students from the Arakan State Students' Union to two and a half years and hard labour for protesting last year.

The Sittwe Township Courthouse sentenced the youths on 16 September for violating Article 505 (b) for offensives against the state and Article 29 of Disaster Management Law for failing to comply with pandemic restrictions.

The judges conducted the trial in the Rakhine State capital via video conference.

Their lawyer Kyaw Nyunt Maung told NMG that the students were charged with Article 505 (b) on 20 October 2020, before the military took power, while the regime imposed the second charge a month after the 1 February coup.

Toe Toe Aung of the Arakan State Students' Union told NMG, "there was no transparency during the investigation''.

"There's no justice for our students... As youths, we don't trust the civilian government or Burma Army. They've oppressed us and that's why we're trying to fight them and their injustice—and we'll continue to do so," he said.

Kyaw Naing Htay, Oo Than Naing, Myat Soe Win and Kawng Tun were convicted for taking part in a demonstration against the National League for Democracy government and the military in Sittwe on 19 October 2020.

The students held placards reading "We don't want colonial government", "We don't want fascist army", "No bloody government" and "No murderous army".

They have already spent the last eleven months behind bars.