Thirteen Arakan State residents charged over social media posts since coup

By Admin 09 Oct 2023

DMG Newsroom
9 October 2023, Sittwe

A total of 1,316 people have been detained across Myanmar since the 2021 coup for criticising the regime and/or supporting the Spring Revolution online. Among the detainees are 13 people from Arakan State, according to a report by Data for Myanmar published on Sunday.

“The majority of detainees are Facebook users, and some of them are TikTok and Telegram users,” said Data for Myanmar.

The detainees were mainly charged with terrorism under Section 52(a) of the Counter-Terrorism Law, and sedition under Section 124, and Section 505(a), and the Electronic Transactions Law, according to the report.

Arakan State residents from Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U and Manaung townships were charged with Section 505(a) of the Penal Code for writing or sharing posts critical of the regime online, and are currently on trial.

Court hearings for the social activist Ko Zaw Win from Kyauktaw Township, charged under Section 505(a), have concluded, but the court has postponed the verdict repeatedly over the past six months, according to family members.

“He has been detained for a while, and he should be released by now,” said Daw Khin Hla Zan, the wife of Ko Zaw Win.

The regime has arrested locals who criticised it during the latest fighting between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA) last year.

Former journalist Ko Myat Thu Tun aka Ko Poe Thiha, from Letkaukzay ward in Mrauk-U Township, was arrested in September 2022 for writing social media posts about the political and military situation in Myanmar. He was charged under Section 505(a) of Penal Code and the trial has been ongoing for about a year now.

Ma Ohmar Shwe Zin Myint, the wife of Ko Myat Thu Tin, said: “The verdict is yet to be delivered. We want the court to deliver a verdict as soon as possible. It is not fair to arrest and prosecute for social media posts.”

On September 19, businessman U Sithu Aung from Manaung town was arrested for social media posts that the regime alleges jeopardised the peace and stability of the country. He was charged under Section 505(a) of the Penal Code.

The regime warned of legal action against social media posts it deems unlawful in January of last year.၏

“People should have freedom of expression,” said a member of a hate speech monitoring group said. “The government [regime] does not respect their peaceful demands, and instead is prosecuting them. Young activists have lost platforms to express their opinions under military rule.”