Appeal of Paletwa man sentenced to three years in prison to be heard next month

By DMG 27 May 2022

DMG Newsroom
27 May 2022, Paletwa, Chin State 

Ko Tin Tun Aung, a resident of Paletwa, Chin State, who has been sentenced to three years in prison for incitement, will see an appeal that he has filed in the case go before a judge early next month, according to family members. 

A hearing in the case was scheduled for May 27, but only the lawyer representing the plaintiff came to the court for the hearing. 

“The court rescheduled the next hearing for June 3 and both sides will argue whether the case [outcome] should be [changed] officially or not during the hearing,” U Min Aung, an elder brother of Ko Tin Tun Aung, told DMG. “The plaintiff was absent at the court hearing and I don’t know the reason.” 

According to family members, the Matupi District Court on May 13 accepted the appeal of Ko Tin Tun Aung, a man from Paletwa Township who was sentenced in April to three years in prison for incitement. 

Ko Tin Tun Aung was arrested on December 28 after telling the Arakan State-based media outlet Western News that a white flag had been seen flying over a hill where a military battalion was stationed in Paletwa Township. Ko Tin Tun Aung was charged under Section 505(a) of the Penal Code by Captain Tun Tun Naing from the Myanmar military on March 17. 

The Paletwa Township Court sentenced Ko Tin Tun Aung to three years in prison with hard labour on April 5, and he was transferred to Sittwe Prison the following day. 

“We have not been allowed to see him since he was transferred to Sittwe Prison. We would like to ask prison officials to help us contact him via video call or mobile phone,” said U Min Aung, adding that the family is concerned about Ko Tin Tun Aung’s health and wellbeing. 

The military has also opened a case against the chief editor and a reporter of Western News under Section 124(a) of the Penal Code for its reporting on the hoisting of the white flag.