Dropping of 36 people’s terrorism cases will be fourth round of its kind: Arakan State military spox

By DMG 31 Oct 2021

DMG Newsroom
31 October 2021, Sittwe 

Arrangements are being made to drop the cases of 36 people charged under the Counter-Terrorism Law in Arakan State, according to U Hla Thein, information officer and attorney-general for the Arakan State Administration Council. 

“Previously, cases prosecuted on terrorism charges have been dropped three times. This is the fourth time that work is underway to drop charges against 36 individuals sued under the Counter-Terrorism Law,” he said. 

Dismissal of the Counter-Terrorism Law cases involves seeking approval from the Central Committee for Counter-Terrorism. 

“The cases have to be dropped with the consent of the Central Committee for Counter-Terrorism,” U Hla Thein explained. “We will submit the cases to be dropped to the court after seeking approval from the Central Committee for Counter-Terrorism.” 

The military has undertaken a process of withdrawing some terrorism charges in Arakan State following its decision to de-list the the Arakan Army and its political wing, the United League of Arakan (ULA), as designated terrorist organisations on March 11. 

“They all should be released. ... If the military wants to release all suspects, it can release them at once. Some have lost their rights because they have been in prison for three years,” said U Mrat Tun, director of the Arakan Human Rights Defenders and Promoters Association. 

The State Administration Council (SAC) closed the cases of 61 people who were arrested for alleged affiliation with the Arakan Army (AA) in a gesture marking the sixth anniversary of the signing of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) on October 15. As of October 21, however, only 58 of them had been released from prisons. 

More than 200 people were arrested and charged under the Counter-Terrorism Law after being accused of associating with the AA during some two years of fighting in Arakan State, according to data from civil society organisations in Arakan State. As of October 31, 102 of those arrested and charged under the Counter-Terrorism Law had been released, but more than 100 remained detained.