#FreeMuay, a brave Woman Human Rights Defender from Jail in Laos!

On the week of International Women's Day 2021 we pay tribute to Muay, a brave woman human rights defender from Lao PDR who has been unfairly jailed for the past 544 days just for speaking truth to power and denouncing corruption!

Muay defended local communities’ rights by denouncing the corruption and incompetence of the Lao Government. She also condemned business activities that threaten and violate human rights in Lao PDR. As a result of Muay's bravery to speak truth to power to ensure the protection and respect for the rights of the Lao people, she was arrested in September 2019 by the Lao authorities, accused of anti-state propaganda under article 117 of the Penal Code. She is serving a five-year jail time and has to pay a fine of 20 million Lao kip. By putting Muay in jail, the Lao government made her an example to create an environment of fear and censorship to silence dissenting voices. Join our fight to #FreeMuay and let’s continue her important work together!

Her fight for aquality and justice mostly include:

• Publishing videos on social media to reveal corruption activities of the Lao government that have been viewed more than 170,000 times.

• Criticizing Chinese-owned banana plantations’ unfair practices and operations that pose human rights threats to local communities in the Bokeo Province of Lao PDR and beyond.

• Denouncing the late response of the Lao government to the 2018 Lao dam collapse and the 2019 flood which displaced thousands of residents in Southern Laos, while the government failed to provide support to affected communities.

Click here to join our #FreeMuay Campaign and read a more detailed description of her work and our efforts to #FreeMuay. We stand in solidarity with Muay until the day she is freed from jail!

**HOW CAN YOU HELP?**

• Tell the world about #FreeMuay: share her story with your community. We need as much support as possible to amplify her voice and put pressure on the Lao authorities!

• Take a picture with #FreeMuay hashtag calling on the Lao government to release her as soon as possible! Telling the truth is not a crime!