A displaced man living in Aye Tharyar Town, Taunggyi Township, Shan State, has been sentenced to seven years in prison under the Myanmar military junta’s newly enacted election disruption law, according to state media.

On September 9, the Taunggyi Township Court convicted Ko Nay Thwey, a displaced person originally from Lashio, under Section 23(a) of the Law on Protecting Elections from Disruption and Destruction. He was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment with hard labor.

Ko Nay Thwey was arrested by security forces on August 25 at his home in Ward (1), Aye Tharyar Town. He is the first person to be charged under the law at the Aye Tharyar police station.

The case reportedly stemmed from an August 23 incident in Lashio, where a car was hijacked at gunpoint. Ko Nay Thwey allegedly shared a post from a Facebook account called “Lashio Baegyi” about the incident and added his own criticism of the military and the upcoming election.

“Speaking as a citizen, one should have the right to free speech. He was just pointing out the actions of the military dictator he dislikes and the military’s actions toward the people. It’s not right to imprison someone for that. If they consider this disrupting the election, then anyone could be jailed,” a Taunggyi local woman told SHAN.

The Law on Protecting Elections from Disruption and Destruction, enacted on July 29, 2025, criminalizes speeches, statements, organizing, protests, or online posts that aim to disrupt the electoral process. The law carries a minimum sentence of three years and a maximum of seven years in prison, along with possible fines.

Union Minister for Home Affairs Lt-Gen Tun Tun Naung said at a September 5 meeting of the Central Committee for Security Supervision during the Election Period in Nay Pyi Taw that online writings related to the election are being closely monitored, and three cases have been prosecuted within a month.