YANGOON, Myanmar — A Myanmar court today ordered a U.S. citizen to serve three years in prison for entering the military-ruled country with forged documents and undeclared foreign currency.
Nyi Nyi Aung, who was born in Myanmar, had faced a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison on a variety of charges that his lawyers had argued should not apply to foreigners.
He was arrested Sept. 3 on arrival at Yangon’s international airport. He was initially accused of plotting to stir up political unrest, which he denied.
He was sentenced for forging a national identity card, for possession of undeclared foreign currency and for violating Myanmar’s so-called Resident Registration Act — under which he was accused of failing to renounce his Myanmar citizenship when becoming an American citizen.
Nyi Nyi Aung had spent years campaigning for democracy in Myanmar from exile.
