Lawyers defending opponents of the Burmese military junta are at great risk, according to a Human Rights Watch report. Many lawyers can no longer or dare to practice their profession, even though, since the February 2021 coup, more than 23,000 people have been arrested and would need to be defended.
According to HRW, "junta authorities are fabricating new rules at short notice, to intimidate and discredit professionals who work to protect the fundamental right to a fair trial," the report says.