Court delays hearing for Taungup philanthropist facing Unlawful Associations Act charge

By DMG 28 Dec 2021

DMG Newsroom
28 December 2021, Taungup 

The Taungup Township Court on Tuesday postponed what was to be a decisive hearing in the case of Ko Aung Win Naing, chair of the Moe Pyinnyar Dana Philanthropic Association in Arakan State’s Taungup town, who was charged under Section 17(1) of the Unlawful Associations Act. 

The hearing has been rescheduled for January 11 to decide whether or not to prosecute Ko Aung Win Naing under the Unlawful Associations Act, according to the defence lawyer. 

“The annual reports are reportedly compiled at the court. The hearing was postponed because other cases had to be decided,” said U Aung Kyi Naing, the lawyer. 

Ko Aung Win Naing was arrested on June 5 and arraigned on August 6 under Section 17(1) of the Unlawful Associations Act, accused of having ties to the Arakan Army (AA). He also faces a charge under Section 8 of the Export and Import Law. 

The plaintiff in the case brought under Section 8 of the Export and Import Law has already been examined and the prosecution witnesses will be questioned at the next court hearing, according to U Aung Kyi Naing. 

Ma Twel Tar Soe, the wife of Ko Aung Win Naing, said the family was in financial trouble due to her husband’s arrest. 

“If possible, I want the case to be decided as soon as possible. It must be said that this case is being postponed unnecessarily,” she added. 

Led by Ko Aung Win Naing, the Moe Pyinnyar Dana Philanthropic Association was formed in April of this year and currently runs the Moe Pyinnyar Dana training school. The school offers vocational training, including computer classes and English-language proficiency courses, and has also faced financial difficulties in the aftermath of its founder Ko Aung Win Naing’s arrest. 

The charges against Ko Aung Win Naing carry a maximum cumulative sentence of six years in prison. 

The United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA) were declared terrorist groups and illegal organisations on March 23, 2020, by the Central Committee for Counter Terrorism and the Ministry of Home Affairs. 

On March 11 of this year, the Myanmar junta announced that it had rescinded the terrorist group designation for the ULA/AA.