Six Taungup residents sentenced to four years in prison on AA-related terrorism charges

By Admin 11 Jul 2023

DMG Newsroom
11 July 2023, Taungup

Six local residents in Taungup Township, Arakan State, who have been charged under Section 50(i) of the Counterterrorism Law, were reportedly sentenced to four years in prison by the Taungup District Court on Tuesday, according to family members.

The six men have been identified as Ko Than Naing from Sarpyin Village; U Kyaw Tin Aung, U Htay Maung and Ko Nay Ye Win from Chetphauk Village; and U Maung Gyi and U Maung Nge from Maei town.

Ma Than Than Hsint, Ko Than Naing’s sister, said the four-year prison sentence was unfair because the six men had no connection with the Arakan Army (AA).

“I feel it is completely unfair that the junta sentenced them to prison,” she added. “Those who were sentenced to prison had nothing to do with AA. Charges against them under the Counterterrorism Law should be dropped since AA has been delisted as a terrorist organisation.”

Ko Than Naing was arrested in April 2020, and the five others were detained in June 2020. Captain Aung Wai Yan Oo from the military’s Myanaung-based Light Infantry Battalion No. 51 filed a lawsuit against the six men under Section 50(i) of the Counterterrorism Law.

The six Taungup residents were sentenced to four years in prison after more than three years on trial. With time served, they are only expected to serve about one more year behind bars.

The United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA) were declared terrorist groups and illegal organisations on March 23, 2020, by the Central Committee for Counter Terrorism under the Ministry of Home Affairs. On March 11, 2021, the junta announced that it had rescinded the terrorist group designation for the ULA/AA.

A former Arakanese political prisoner said it is unethical to sentence people suspected of being related to the AA to prison on terrorism charges.

“It is not fair to sentence these suspects to prison as the AA is delisted as a terrorist organisation,” he said. “Sentencing people arrested on suspicion of having ties to the AA to prison on terrorism charges is not consistent with the junta’s words. From a political point of view, those who were sentenced to prison committed an unethical act. Those who were sentenced to prison also suffered a lot.”