Final appeal in Taungup social activist’s trial to be heard at next hearing

By DMG 29 Mar 2022

DMG Newsroom
29 March 2022, Taungup

A final appeal in the case of Ko Min Ko Oo, chair of the Taungup Township Youth Network in Arakan State, who was arrested late last year on suspicion of having ties to the anti-regime People’s Defence Force (PDF), will be heard at his next court hearing, according to the defendant’s lawyer.

Ko Min Ko Oo was taken from his home on December 14 and a lawsuit was subsequently filed against him by Police Captain Zaw Latt, head of the Taungup Township police station, under Section 50(j) of the Counter-Terrorism Law.

The court examined one of three defence witnesses in the case during the latest hearing on March 28, said Daw Theingi Maung, the defence attorney.

“The court questioned one of the defence witnesses during the hearing and the final appeal will be heard at the next hearing on April 4,” she told DMG.

The defence witnesses testified that Ko Min Ko Oo had nothing to do with anti-regime groups such as the PDF, according to the lawyer.

Ko Min Ko Oo is a social activist and since his arrest, family members have insisted that he has been wrongfully accused.

Myanmar’s military regime has charged at least 10 people from Arakan State’s Taungup, Thandwe and Mrauk-U townships for allegedly providing financial aid to the PDF, or otherwise having illegal ties to the anti-regime militia.

Author Ko Min Di Par from Mrauk-U Township, who was arrested on suspicion of financing the PDF and charged under the Counter-Terrorism Law, was sentenced to 10 years in prison with hard labour on February 25.