Paletwa healthcare worker facing incitement charge is remanded: family

By DMG 14 Jan 2022

DMG Newsroom
14 January 2022, Paletwa, Chin State

A healthcare worker who told local media that a white flag was raised on a hill where the Myanmar military is stationed in Paletwa Township, Chin State, has been held on remand for further investigation, according to family members of the accused.

Some reporters from Western News went into hiding after U Tin Tun Aung, the healthcare worker facing an incitement charge, gave an interview to the Arakan State-based media outlet, saying a white flag was seen hoisted at the hillside position of Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) No. 289 in Paletwa Township.

U Tin Tun Aung has not been allowed to meet with family members and was remanded until January 27, said U Min Aung, an elder brother of the accused.

“He is currently being held in police custody and remand will be sought for a second time. Officials have not notified family members of the incident. I have not been in contact with my brother yet,” he told DMG.

U Tin Tun Aung, a radiologist, was arrested along with an education worker on December 28, and the latter was subsequently released on bail.

It is not known at which court U Tin Tin Aung, who faces the incitement charge under Section 505(a) of the Penal Code, will stand trial, so family members are finding it difficult to hire a lawyer to represent him in the case.

U Tin Tun Aung was taken to the Arakan State capital Sittwe in a military helicopter on January 10, after being charged under Section 505(a) at the Paletwa Township police station on December 30, according to his family.

“We have not been in contact with him since his arrest. We are worried about his safety because he was taken by the Myanmar military. I want to talk to him on the phone at least once,” U Min Aung said.

DMG attempted to contact officials at the Paletwa Township police station regarding the matter, but they could not be reached.

A lawsuit has been filed at the Sittwe District Court against Western News under Section 124(a) of the Penal Code, a provision on treason that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, U Hla Thein, a spokesperson for the Arakan State regime council who also serves as the state’s attorney general, told DMG earlier this month.