Vicky Bowman and Htein Lin: Who are they? Vicky Bowman and her husband detained in Myanmar over an immigration issue
Vicky Bowman, the former British ambassador to Myanmar, and her husband, Htein Lin, were arrested in Yangon. The two were taken into custody together.
According to Reuters, they were arrested on Wednesday and charged with violating immigration laws. Furthermore, it was reported that they were taken to Insein prison while in detention.
According to local media, the two were taken to the infamous Insein prison in Yangon, known for its inhumane treatment of prisoners, prevalence of disease and the presence of rats running amok throughout the facility.
According to a source with knowledge of the case, the two individuals were taken into custody by the country’s military junta for allegedly breaking immigration laws, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Vicky Bowman
Who is Htein Lin? Get to know Vicky Bowman’s hubby, who creates art!
Vicky Bowman and her husband, Htein Lin, have been married for a long time at this point. They even assumed the role of parents for their child.
Htein Lin is a writer and artist from Burma. Her artistic practice includes performance, installation and painting. Additionally, he has been on stage in comedic and acting roles.
When he participated in the student movement in 1988, he was enrolled at Rangoon University and a student there. His birth year was 1966 and he was born in Ingapu which is located in Ayeyarwady region of Myanmar.
After the army took control of the country, he fled the country and lived for nearly four years in a rebel ABSDF (Northern Branch) student camp in Pajau, on the Chinese border. It was there that he studied art with Mandalay artist Sitt Nyein Aye.
In the years 1991 and 1992, he was held captive in Pajau, along with a number of other students, for nearly nine months. During this time, they were subjected to some of the most horrific physical attacks in the annals of the resistance movement.
Htein Lin, who regularly meditates using the vipassana technique, draws much of her creativity from Buddhist concepts, stories and philosophy. Between the years 2006 and 2013 he was based in London, but in July of that year he returned to Myanmar.
Since his return he has taken advantage of the new climate of reform to create a major documentary and interactive performance titled A Show of Hands. As part of the play, hundreds of thousands of former Burmese political prisoners had their arms cast in plaster for the project.
Vicky Bowman’s husband
What are Htein Lin and Vicky Bowman believed to have done to arrest them in Myanmar?
Vicky Bowman, director of the Myanmar Center for Responsible Business (MCRB), and her husband Htein Lin, a Burmese artist and former political prisoner, were reportedly arrested on Wednesday.
The news surfaced minutes before the UK announced new sanctions targeting the Burmese junta.
According to the sources, the arrest took place in Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon and the capital of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. It is unclear why they are being held and attempts to obtain a statement from a spokesperson for the junta in Myanmar have been unsuccessful. It is not known on what charges they are being held.
Officials reportedly accused Bowman and her husband of violating immigration restrictions, at least according to one version of events.
After being taken into custody, the two were reportedly transported to the infamous Insein prison. Along the same lines, the prison, which houses a significant number of political prisoners, is just outside Yangon, which is Myanmar’s main financial hub.
According to a spokesman for the British Embassy in Yangon, the detention of a British woman in Myanmar has raised concerns within the diplomatic mission. They conferred with the authorities of the region and provided consular assistance. The name of the individual was omitted by the spokesperson. At the same time Bowman was arrested, Britain announced additional sanctions against companies in Myanmar that had links to the military. According to a statement issued at the same time, the UK has joined the case that has been brought against Myanmar before the International Court of Justice.
