Thandwe activist’s incitement trial hits snag over prosecutorial incongruity

By DMG 21 Mar 2022

DMG Newsroom
21 March 2022, Thandwe

Contradictory testimonies on the side of the prosecution in the case of a Thandwe man accused of incitement led Monday to the summoning of a local police official to sort out the discrepancy.

The accused, Ko Han Myo Thurein from Arakan State’s Thandwe Township, is facing a potential charge under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code for allegedly assisting in the release of locals arrested during an anti-military protest in Thandwe in February 2021.

“There is a contradiction between the statement of the prosecution and the statements of the plaintiff and prosecution witness in the case. So the commander of Thandwe township police station was summoned to testify as a witness during the next court hearing,” Ma Myo Tin Zar Tun, a Higher Grade Pleader, told DMG. “The two sides will argue whether the case should be charged officially or not.”

Ko Han Myo Thurein appeared in court on Monday, having been arrested on February 13, about a year after his alleged crime took place. The court has scheduled the next hearing for March 28, when the head of the Thandwe Township police station is expected to testify as a witness, according to Ma Myo Tin Zar Tun.

U Chan Min Latt, Thandwe’s deputy township administrator, filed the case against Ko Han Myo Thurein under Section 505(b), an incitement provision of the Penal Code that has been frequently used by Myanmar’s military regime to stifle dissent.

Ko Han Myo Thurein is currently being held at Thandwe Prison and he is in good health, according to family members.

A resident of Ngapali’s Jittaw ward, Ko Han Myo Thurein is an active participant in local civil society organisations in Arakan State, as well as being a human rights trainer.