Naw was born on 4 August 1963 in Karen state to ethnic Karen parents, a daughter of Thein Aung. She currently lives in Yangon.
Career and movement
Naw Ohn Hla is a prominent advocate for land rights and political prisoners, and has been imprisoned on more than seven occasions since 1989, as a result of her peaceful efforts to free political prisoners and assist Buddhist monks during the 2007 uprising. She work for the promotion of human rights and environmental rights and also campaigned for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi while the opposition leader was under house arrest. She has repeatedly called for the suspension of the Chinese-backed Letpadaung mining project in Burma's Sagaing Region. The project is strongly opposed by local communities due its damaging effect on the environment. She was sentenced in 2013 August to two years in prison for protesting without permission against the Letpadaung copper mine. In 15 November 2013, she was one of 69 political prisoners released by a pardon from President Thein Sein. But Naw Ohn Hla is in custody again after she was arrested over a 29 Nov 2014 protest against the mining project, at which a Chinese flag was burned outside the Chinese Embassy in Yangon. She faces up to two years in jail for flag-burning case was arrested on 30 December 2014. She was still a separate lawsuit for organizing prayers in 2007 for opposition leader Aung SanSuu Kyi, then under house arrest. She had also faced charges of violating the Peaceful Assembly Law in different townships court across Yangon with regards to the embassy protest. On May 15, 2015, the Dagon Township Court in Yangoon found them guilty and sentenced them to four years and four months in prison. She also sentenced to four months in prison prior to this verdict on April 2, 2015 by the Bahan Township Court for violating the Peaceful Assembly Law during a protest on September 29, 2014. She was serving in a prison sentence of six years and two months in Insein Prison for protesting. She has been released on April 17, 2016 from Insein Prison due to Presidential amnesty from President Htin Kyaw. She is co-founder of the Rangoon-based Democracy and Peace Women Network, which raises awareness of human rights, land rights and also campaigns against domestic violence. The Yangoon-based DPWN was honored with an N-Peace Awards, under the category of "Thinking Outside the Box" in October 2014.
