Final appeal in Lekka villagers’ terrorism trial to be heard at next hearing slated for end of October

By DMG 14 Oct 2021

DMG Newsroom
14 October 2021, Mrauk-U 

A final appeal in the case of more than 20 Lekka villagers in Arakan State’s Mrauk-U Township, who were arrested on suspicion of having links with the Arakan Army (AA) and have been facing trial for more than two years, will be heard at the next court hearing, according to a lawyer involved. 

The Lekka villagers appeared before the court on October 14 and two prosecution witnesses for charges under multiple provisions of the Counter-Terrorism Law were examined during the hearing. 

The court scheduled the next hearing for October 28, said U Aung Sit Min, a lawyer for the Min Htee Law Firm. 

“Two prosecution witnesses were examined at the court hearing [on Thursday] and a final appeal in the case will be heard at the next court hearing,” the lawyer told DMG. 

The Lekka villagers were arrested in April 2019 and have since been facing multiple charges under the Counter-Terrorism Law, as well as Section 21(a) of the Arms Act. 

The villagers of Lekka have remained behind bars since their arrest, despite the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA) being removed from the government’s list of terrorist groups in March of this year. While some cases involving alleged ties to the ethnic armed group have since been dropped, the Lekka villagers’ case and others have continued. 

The Min Htee Law Firm has demanded that the villagers be released as soon as possible, saying the evidence presented in connection with the case is irrelevant. 

“They are local villagers and are among those detained for many years. I want the government to put those [Lekka villagers] on the priority list for long-term cases to be dropped. The Lekka villagers have suffered and lost many years,” U Aung Sit Min said. 

For months, family members have been hoping that loved ones facing Counter-Terrorism Law charges in relation to alleged ULA/AA links would be released after the junta removed the designation of the ethnic armed organisation as a terrorist group on March 11.