Why Are Htein Lin and Vicky bowman Detained in Myanmar? Vicky Bowman, a former British ambassador to Myanmar, and her spouse Htein Lin have been detained in Yangon.
According to Reuters, they were taken into custody on Wednesday and charged with breaking immigration regulations. They were then sent to Insein prison while still in captivity.
The two reportedly went to the notorious Insein jail in Yangon, where detainees are starved and mistreated, illnesses are frequent, and rats run wild in the passageways, according to the local media.
The two were reportedly imprisoned by the country’s military junta for allegedly violating immigration restrictions, which carries a maximum prison penalty of five years, according to a source with knowledge of the case.
Meet Vicky Bowman’s Husband: Who Is Htein Lin?
Vicky Bowman has been married to her husband, Htein Lin, for quite some time now. They are even parents to their child.
Htein Lin is a writer and artist from Burma who works in painting, installation, and performance. He has also performed as an actor and comedian.
He was a student at Rangoon University when he participated in the 1988 student movement. He was born in 1966 in Ingapu, Ayeyarwady Region, Myanmar. After the military took control, he fled the country and spent almost four years in an ABSDF (Northern Branch) student rebel camp at Pajau on the Chinese border, where he studied art with Mandalay artist Sitt Nyein Aye.
Vicky Bowman and her Burmese husband Htein Lin face up to five years in prison for allegedly violating visa terms#WhatsHappeningInMyanmar https://t.co/LRU8qNCkvE
— Myanmar Now (@Myanmar_Now_Eng) August 25, 2022
Along with other students, he was imprisoned at Pajau for almost nine months from 1991–1992, during which time they endured some of the most infamous physical assaults in the history of the resistance group.
Buddhist themes, tales, and philosophy serve as a key source of inspiration for Htein Lin, who regularly practices vipassana meditation. After living in London from 2006 to 2013, he returned to Burma in July 2013.
Since his return, he has taken advantage of the new climate for reform to launch a significant documentary and interactive performance piece, A Show of Hands, in which hundreds of Burma’s many thousands of former political prisoners had their arms cast in plaster.
Why Are Htein Lin and Vicky bowman Detained in Myanmar?
Vicky Bowman, the director of the Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB), and her husband Htein Lin, a former political prisoner and Burmese artist, were reportedly detained on Wednesday.
The revelation broke just before a declaration of new UK sanctions against the Myanmar regime.
The arrest, according to reports, occurred in Yangon, once known as Rangoon, the capital of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. It is unclear what charges they are being imprisoned on, and attempts to reach a junta spokeswoman in Myanmar for comment were unsuccessful.
According to one account, Bowman and her husband were accused by officials of violating immigration laws.
The two were reportedly being transferred to the infamous Insein jail after being remanded in custody. Similarly, the prison, which houses a large number of political prisoners, is located outside Yangon, the commercial center of Myanmar.
The arrest of a British woman in Myanmar concerned the British embassy in Yangon, according to a spokeswoman. They were interacting with the regional authorities and offering consular support. The spokeswoman omitted the person’s name.
Bowman was detained at the same time as Britain declared new sanctions against Myanmar companies with connections to the military. The International Court of Justice’s complaint against Myanmar has been joined by the UK, according to a statement made at the same time.
