Paletwa court sentences two brothers to three years in prison for AA ties

15 Dec 2022

DMG Newsroom
15 December 2022, Paletwa, Chin State

The Paletwa Township Court has reportedly sentenced two brothers to three years in prison under Section 505(a) of the Penal Code and Section 17(1) of the Unlawful Associations Act, according to family members.

The two men have been identified as U Ko Oo Saw Hla, 30, and his younger brother Ko Khaing Hsan Phyo, 25.

The court in Paletwa, Chin State, sentenced Ko Oo Saw Hla to three years in prison under Section 505(a) of the Penal Code and Ko Khaing Hsan Phyo to three years in prison under Section 17(1) of the Unlawful Associations Act on December 12.

“The court delivered a verdict against Ko Khaing Hsan Phyo yesterday and Ko Oo Saw Hla last week. The pair were sentenced to three years in prison,” the wife of Ko Khaing Hsan Phyo told DMG.

The two brothers were reportedly taken to Sittwe Prison by a state-owned vessel via the main Paletwa-Kyauktaw water route.

The duo were arrested at their homes by junta soldiers in October, and they were held in military custody for two months.

Family members say the brothers earn a living as masons and have no links to the Arakan Army (AA).

“As we are the grassroots, we have no ties to any organisations. I don’t want to say anything. As a wife, how sad it is that my husband has been imprisoned like this,” the wife of Ko Khaing Hsan Phyo added.

Ko Oo Saw Hla has two children and is the family’s only breadwinner. Ko Oo Saw Hla’s wife told DMG: “He [Ko Oo Saw Hla] has not done anything to stir up trouble in the country. He makes a living as a mason. The military filed a lawsuit against him, but I don’t know the plaintiff.”

The Paletwa Township Court also sentenced a 100-household head and a 10-household head to three years in prison for incitement under Section 505(a) of the Penal Code on November 21.

And U Chit San, a 68-year-old man from Abaung Tha Village in Paletwa Township, was sentenced to three years in prison under Section 505(a) of the Penal Code on November 2.

The regime arrested at least nine locals in Paletwa Township and imprisoned six of them during some four months of renewed hostilities between the military and AA.

The Myanmar military and AA observed an informal ceasefire starting November 26, after months of renewed hostilities, but the military regime has continued to detain and prosecute some locals on various charges.