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#FreeMuay: What price is Muay paying for speaking the truth?
#FreeMuay ⚖️ Today marks the 3 years anniversary of Muay's arbitrary arrest, which happened on 12 September 2019.
🇱🇦 In a closed civic space country such as Lao PDR, the work of human rights defenders like Muay’s is vital for protecting grassroots communities from business abuses and exposing government corruption.
🛑 The Lao government restricts any legitimate activities believed to threaten the state and, in September 2019, Muay became a victim of this practice. Muay was arbitrarily arrested and detained for pointing out corruption and destructive business practices, and ultimately stopped by the authorities from telling the truth.
Just like many human rights activists in Southeast Asia, her only crime is helping the underprivileged.
#WeAreManushyan ♾ Equal Human Beings
✊ Manushya Foundation stands in solidarity with Muay and calls for her immediate release and the drop of all charges against her. Lao PDR must comply with its international human rights obligations and stop silencing activists and #HumanRightsDefenders from speaking Truth to Power! 🗣
🔗 Learn more about Muay’s human rights work and Manushya’s efforts to free her by clicking here.
👉 Donate to Muay's family as Muay was the main breadwinner for her daughter and retired parents by clicking here.
👉 Share this post with your network and denounce the injustice!
👉 Use #FreeMuay to join the campaign and express your support for her. There is power in numbers!
While you are here...
➡️ Find out more about Manushya Foundation’s our campaign to #FreeMuay from jail:
#Freemuay from jail in Laos: Campaign to Free Lao woman human rights defender Ms. Houayheuang Xayabouly (Muay) and stop the human rights violations against her.
➡️ Find out more about Manushya Foundation’s previous work on Laos:
News release: Laos must undertake transparent and independent investigation to ensure effective remedies for the victims of the am collapse – and Thailand should also bear responsibility, 20 August 2018;
Statement of the Thai Business & Human Rights Network on the Lao Dam Collapse, 20 August 2018;
Manushya Foundation's Submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights on the situation in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), March 2019;
Joint Submission with the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) to the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) for Lao PDR Third UPR Cycle, 21 July 2019;
Joint Statement: One year after Xe Pian-Xe Namnoy dam collapse, civil society from Korea and the Mekong call for immediate accountability and redress, 23 July 2019;
Manushya’s Foundation UPR Factsheet to inform Lao PDR’s Third UPR: Overview of the Human Rights Situation in Lao PDR - Legal Framework, Challenges, Case Studies & Community-led UPR Recommendations, January 2020;
News release: Nam Theun 1 Dam: Responsible Govts & Companies Must Ensure Safety of Communities living nearby!, 22 August 2022.