The military junta in Myanmar has released prominent Christian leader Hkalam Samson, who had been detained since April 17. His arrest was linked to alleged involvement in peace negotiations with rebels. Members of the Peace Talks Action Group confirmed his release, stating that he was freed on Monday at 11:30 AM local time. Although specific details surrounding his release are unclear, they assured that he is now back home.
The U.S. government welcomed Samson’s release after he had served over a year of a six-year sentence handed down in a closed trial in April 2023. He was convicted on charges of illicit association, defamation, and terrorism. Human rights advocates have condemned these charges, viewing them as politically motivated persecution.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller emphasized that these allegations were “manipulated by the military.” He recognized Samson as a significant and respected religious leader known for advocating religious freedom for everyone. Miller also called on the military junta to cease its repression and violence against religious figures, communities, and places of worship.
The regime has continued to detain political figures, democratically elected officials, human rights defenders, and civil society members. Miller reiterated the call for the military to immediately release those unjustly detained, end violence against civilians, provide unrestricted humanitarian aid, and respect the Burmese people’s aspirations for an inclusive and representative democracy.
Samson, formerly the president of the Kachin Baptist Convention, was initially arrested on the same day that the junta granted amnesty to over 3,000 prisoners following the 2021 coup. Before his recent imprisonment, he had spent 16 months in Myitkyina prison after being detained in December 2022 at Mandalay International Airport while awaiting a flight to Thailand.
He is renowned for his advocacy for the rights of ethnic minorities and religious freedom in Myanmar. In 2019, the military attempted to initiate legal proceedings against him for reporting on the repression of minorities to then U.S. President Donald Trump, but the case was dismissed by junta leader Min Aung Hlaing.
For more on the situation in Myanmar, you can explore reports by organizations like Human Rights Watch or the International Crisis Group.
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