Myanmar model and actor Paing Takhon was sentenced to three years in jail on 27 December for participating in mass protests in the country.
He has been vocal in condemning the government online. On his personal Instagram page with millions of followers he raised his voice to respect the 2020 election results, as the nation's military forces seized power in February after a massive election defeat at the hands of the ruling National League of Democracy.
After his arrest in April for participating in protests, his Instagram and Facebook pages were taken down.
Paing Takhon's fans have since taken to social media to share their grief about their beloved model's prison sentence.
On 1 February, 2021, the Myanmar military overthrew the civilian government and declared a year-long state of emergency, which was later extended until August 2023. The top brass justified their action by alleged election fraud, which they blamed on civilian government leaders, and promised to transfer power after new elections are held. The military coup triggered a wave of civil protests that rocked the country from February-May 2021, leaving over 1,300 people dead in clashes with law enforcement officers.