On Wednesday Myanmar’s military authorities have detained former UK ambassador to the country Vicky Bowman and her husband Htein Lin. Vicky Bowman currently runs the Myanmar Center for Responsible Business (MCRB). Her husband Htein Lin is a Burmese artist and former political prisoner.
Bowman, 56, served as ambassador to Myanmar from 2002 to 2006 and has more than 30 years of experience in the country. Her husband Htein Lin (55) is one of Myanmar’s most famous artists and a veteran activist who spent more than six years in prison for opposing the military regime.
A spokesman for the UK embassy in the country said it was “concerned at the arrest of a British woman in Myanmar”, without mentioning Bowman by name.
“We are liaising with local authorities and providing consular assistance,” the spokesman said.
Reports of Bowman’s arrest came as the UK on Thursday announced new sanctions targeting military-linked businesses in Myanmar in support of the Southeast Asian country’s Rohingya community in an effort to limit the military’s access to arms and revenue.
The Myanmar military did not comment on the report.
Recent Comments