Minbya Twsp village administrator charged with unlawful association over alleged AA links

14 Dec 2022

DMG Newsroom
14 December 2022, Minbya 

An administrator in Minbya’s Okkarpyan Ward, Arakan State, has been charged under Section 17(1) of the Unlawful Associations Act on suspicion of having ties to the Arakan Army (AA), according to family members. 

The accused, who has been a ward administrator for nine years, has been identified as U Aung Kyaw Hla aka Ni Taung Chay, 57. 

“He [U Aung Kyaw Hla] appeared before the court on December 5 and was sued under Section 17(1) of the Unlawful Associations Act,” said a family member.

 U Aung Kyaw Hla was taken from his home by junta soldiers on October 14 for questioning and was charged after some two months in military custody. He is currently being held at the military’s Minbya-based Light Infantry Battalion No. 380, according to family members. 

“He has no ties to any illegal organisation, nor does he have links to the AA. I think he was accused of affiliations with the AA by a group of people. We used to help the poor,” said a family member. 

DMG was unable to obtain comment from Arakan State Minister for Security and Border Affairs Colonel Kyaw Thura regarding the matter. 

“Suspects arrested and charged under Section 17(1) of the Unlawful Associations Act should be released,” said U Pe Than, a veteran Arakanese politician. “I believe that people arrested on suspicion of having connections with the AA should be released in order to make the ceasefire sustainable and to discuss peace.” 

At least six village administrators were arrested and charged over their alleged ties to the AA amid nearly four months of renewed hostilities between the military and the Arakanese ethnic armed group, according to a DMG tally. Though the two sides reached an informal ceasefire on November 26, some ward and village administrators are still detained in military custody. 

Two village administrators in Buthidaung Township have been sued under Section 17(1) of the Unlawful Associations Act. In Kyaukphyu Township, U Soe Hla Tun, the administrator of Cediya Ward, and U Khin Maung Tun, an administrator of Pyinphyumaw Ward were detained by the military. And U Phone Ko Naing, the administrator of Kyeinchaung Village in Arakan State’s Maungdaw Township, was also taken into junta custody.