In court testimony, Thandwe pair accused of terrorism deny links to anti-regime forces 

By DMG 24 Mar 2022

DMG Newsroom
24 March 2022, Thandwe 

Two Thandwe men facing charges under Section 52(a) of the Counter-Terrorism Law told a court on Wednesday that they had nothing to do with anti-regime fighters arrested last year in Ayeyawady Region, according to their lawyer. 

Captain Nay Zaw Htet from Ngapali-based Battalion No. 55 opened the case against the two men, Ko Sein Chit and Ko Ye Naing Oo, after they were arrested on October 9, 2021, and accused of having links to the People’s Defence Force (PDF) in Maubin town, Ayeyarwady Region. 

The two defendants appeared before the Thandwe Township Court in southern Arakan State on March 23 and gave testimony, with both denying any involvement with anti-regime forces such as the PDF. 

Ten defence witnesses have been submitted to the judge, and two defence witnesses will be examined at the next hearing scheduled for March 30, said Daw Theingi Maung, the defendants’ attorney. 

The two defendants are social workers in Thandwe Township, and their alleged links to anti-regime forces are nothing more than unfounded accusations, their families say.  

U Sein Chit ran in the 2020 general election as a candidate of the Arakan Front Party for the Arakan State legislature’s constituency No. 2 in Thandwe Township, but he did not win the seat. 

The 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 group. 

The 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 last month.