Court drops case against man charged over memorialising eight fallen AA cadets

By DMG 01 Oct 2021

DMG Newsroom
1 October 2021, Sittwe 

A man on trial in the Arakan State capital Sittwe for last year observing the anniversary of the 2014 deaths of eight fallen Arakan Army cadets in northern Myanmar was released from those charges on October 1, his lawyer said. 

The defendant benefitted from an order issued by the regime council on August 11, which said certain accused persons would have their prosecutions dropped if there was no follow-up, by September 30, by the plaintiff indicating a desire to continue to pursue charges. 

“He was released because of that order. The plaintiff did not submit a complaint not to close the case, and he was acquitted,” said the released man’s lawyer, U Kyaw Nyunt Maung. 

The sixth anniversary of the death of the eight AA cadets was held in Sittwe on November 19, 2020, when about 30 youths sung the Arakan national anthem, offered a minute’s silence and paid homage to the slain. 

U A San Maung was arrested for participating in the event, and U Aung Zan Wai from the Disaster Management Department opened a lawsuit against him under Section 29 of the Natural Disaster Management Law.  

“I was in police custody for a month. And I faced trial for five or six months. I am released from being charged this afternoon,” said U A San Maung. 

On November 14, 2014, the Myanmar military attacked the Kachin Independence Army’s training facility in Laiza, Kachin State, killing several cadets, including eight members of the Arakan Army.