Ohn Than

Ohn Than (, ; commonly written U Ohn Than, following Burmese honorific conventions; born 1946) is a Burmese democracy activist who received international attention for his "stoic one-man protests". He spent the majority of the years from 1988 to 2012 imprisoned, and Amnesty International considered him a prisoner of conscience.

Personal life Ohn Than was born in 1946 in Ngathinechaung Township, Irrawaddy Division. He received a B.Sc. in forestry from Rangoon University in 1971, and began working for the State Timber Corporation, where he served until his first arrest. In September 1987, Ne Win had voided most denominations of the kyat without warning, causing many people to lose their savings overnight. Students who saved money for tuition fees were particularly affected. The situation was further exacerbated by the shooting of protesting student Phone Maw in a 12 March 1988 clash with police. The student-led protests continued to grow through August of that year, and on 8 August 1988 (8-8-88), a general strike began from which the 8888 Uprising would later take its name.

Ohn Than became involved in the uprising at this time, leading protests in Shwegoo township in Kachin State. The protest was timed to match the first day of the current United Nations General Assembly session.

In August 2007, a new wave of protests hit Yangon following unrest over rising food and fuel prices. These protests would later become popularly known as the "Saffron Revolution" after the robe color of the many Buddhist monks who took a leadership role.

Ohn Than again helped lead the protests, staging another solo demonstration before the US Embassy in downtown Yangon on 23 August. He held up posters calling for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to intervene to protect protesters from military reprisals, and for troops in the Tatmadaw (Burmese armed forces) to refuse the orders of their superiors. One sign read:

He was subsequently held in a military camp until January 2008, Amnesty International reports that he was not allowed legal representation. He was subsequently moved between three different prisons, ending at Khamti prison in Sagiang Division.

Release According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, Ohn Than was pardoned on 13 January 2012, as part of a series of amnesties for political prisoners.