Rights group says Myanmar’s military rulers have cracked down on lawyers, abused legal system

By GRANT PECK
Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — A human rights organization says lawyers representing critics of Myanmar’s military government face harassment and attacks ranging from threats and arrests to unfair trials and even torture. Human Rights Watch says such actions reflect a broader assault on the country’s justice system. The group says at least 32 lawyers are in pretrial detention or serving sentences on various charges, and those still working face “systematic, junta-imposed obstacles and restrictions impeding their work.” Myanmar is wracked by violence that began after the army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. The judicial system has become significantly less transparent under army rule.