Among dozens recently detained by military in Arakan State, 18 facing criminal charges

By DMG 09 Jul 2022

DMG Newsroom
9 July 2022, Sittwe

The Myanmar military has reportedly filed lawsuits against 18 out of more than 30 people it has detained in a handful of Arakan State townships over recent weeks.

Among those facing charges are nine people from Sittwe Township, six from Ponnagyun Township and three from Kyauktaw Township. The accusations against them include incitement under Section 505(a) of the Penal Code and other alleged offences.

Former political prisoner Wai Hun Aung said he believed the military junta, which has claimed to be pushing for peace, should not arrest and prosecute civilians on such serious charges.

“If the military council seeks peace, it would not be good to prosecute civilians with such articles. The military council needs to do as it says regarding the peace process. The military council needs to investigate and release the detained civilians as soon as possible,” he added.

The military has arrested at least 50 locals in Sittwe, Ponnagyun, Kyauktaw and Mrauk-U townships since June 16. About 18 locals were released, but of the remaining 32, 18 were sued with various charges, according to a preliminary investigation by DMG.

Two residents from the Arakan State capital Sittwe who were detained by Myanmar’s military regime for “being unable to give a satisfactory explanation about why they were loitering at night” were sentenced to one month in prison. DMG is still investigating the whereabouts of more than 10 other detainees.

Daw Aye Aye Khaing, the wife of detainee U Ba Hlaing — who was charged with several counts including incitement under Section 505(a) of the Penal Code — said she was concerned that she had not been able to see her husband since his arrest on June 16.

“My husband is not guilty, but he was sued with charges that carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. We are not interested in politics. I want him released as soon as possible because we are in trouble,” she said.

The Arakan Army detained at least 14 Myanmar military soldiers, police and other security personnel from Sittwe, Ponnagyun, Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U and Ramree townships from June 11-23.

The abovementioned civilian arrests and the subsequent filing of criminal cases against several of them are widely understood as taking place in response to the AA’s detentions of junta personnel.

The military is prosecuting innocent civilians with charges that carry up to 10 years in prison without proof, said U Myat Tun, director of the Arakan Human Rights Defenders and Promoters Association, who described the regime’s use of the legal system in this way as a clear violation of human rights.

“The loss of human rights is not only for the Arakanese people but also the entire people of Myanmar,” he said. “The military not only arrests people but also prosecutes them under various sections. I would like to say that this is a blatant violation of human rights because of the arbitrary arrest and detention of these people.”

AA spokesman Khaing Thukha has said that if AA troops were released, the ethnic armed gorup would release detained junta soldiers and police. The military junta has not yet commented on the AA spokesman’s remarks.

Civilian arrests became less common after the two sides agreed to an unofficial ceasefire in November 2020. In recent months, however, tensions between the AA and the Myanmar military have been rising.