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Lekka villagers on terrorism trial at Sittwe District Court docket. / The Irrawaddy
By The Irrawaddy 8 June 2022
Authorized limbo within the case of two males from Ponnagyun Township in Rakhine State has dragged on for greater than two years after they have been arrested on suspicion of getting hyperlinks with the Arakan Military (AA) in March 2020.
U Maung Noticed Aye and Ko Nay Lin Htay, each 25, from Ai Tin village have been arrested on the Kyauktan checkpoint on the outskirts of the state capital Sittwe upon returning to their village by bike.
Myanmar’s army filed a cost beneath Article 52(a) of the Counter Terrorism Legislation alleging that images of AA fighters have been discovered on their telephones.
Sittwe District Court docket was alleged to ship a verdict in April final 12 months after all of the prosecution witnesses testified however it has left the case for greater than a 12 months with out a ruling, in response to relations.
U Maung Phyu Che, the daddy of U Maung Noticed Aye, mentioned: “The courtroom has postponed the decision many times, which isn’t truthful for them and upsets their households.”
Throughout a courtroom listening to in Might, the accused raised a grievance however the decide didn’t reply, mentioned U Maung Phyu Che.
In one other case, 5 villagers from Kyaukseik in Ponnagyun Township have additionally spent greater than two years in jail after their courtroom postponed the ruling. The 5 have been arrested in April 2020 and charged beneath the Counter Terrorism Legislation over alleged ties with the AA.
Protection lawyer U Kyaw Nyunt Maung mentioned he has by no means seen a case being postpone for therefore lengthy in his profession.
“Relations have suffered. The earlier decide postponed the trial due to directions from above. The present decide postponed the trial saying he’s nonetheless learning the case. In 20 years as a lawyer that is the primary time a decide has taken greater than a 12 months and the primary time a verdict has been postponed for greater than a 12 months,” mentioned the lawyer.
Troopers detained 38 villagers from Kyaukseik on April 19, 2020, and launched 33 of them the next day however opened circumstances towards the remainder.
A video of the 5 villagers being overwhelmed by troopers throughout interrogation on a naval vessel was shared broadly on social media in Might 2020.
On the time, army spokesman Main Normal Zaw Min Tun mentioned motion can be taken towards the troopers who beat the 5 villagers. However there has not been any report of motion taken towards them.
Furthermore, six villagers from Sar Pyin and Chet Pauk in Taungup Township even have been on a terrorism trial for greater than two years on the Thandwe District Court docket. They have been detained in June 2020 and charged for allegedly financing terrorism.
Rakhine politician U Pe Than mentioned: “These circumstances must be dropped because the AA was faraway from the record of terrorist organizations [in March 2021]. Judges and authorized officers ought to ask for a straight reply from the central authorities about that. Are they holding up as a result of choice makers have hinted at one thing? In that case it’s unlawful.”
Following the coup, the regime launched kinfolk of AA chief Main Normal Tun Myat Naing and a few Rakhine villagers who have been prosecuted on suspicion of getting ties with the AA however greater than 30 Rakhine villagers are nonetheless on terrorism trial at courts in Sittwe, Mrauk-U and Thandwe, mentioned U Myat Tun from the Arakan Human Rights Defenders and Promoters Affiliation.
“Because the AA has been faraway from the record of terrorist teams the accused ought to now be launched. However they’ve been locked within the circle of being dropped at courtroom after which again to jail. This has prompted many troubles for households. This can be a human rights violation,” he mentioned.
Relations have run up towards monetary difficulties because the courts have dithered, he mentioned.
The regime has opened a case towards a person and lady from Kyaukphyu Township beneath Article 505(a) of the Penal Code for allegedly gathering funds for the AA earlier this month. It has additionally detained two Rakhine folks and two Chin residents in Paletwa Township, Chin State, on suspicion of getting hyperlinks to the AA.
The AA has refused to attend talks with junta chief Min Aung Hlaing. Army tensions have been operating excessive in Rakhine State with the regime concentrating on the village-level officers of the United League of Arakan, the political wing of the AA, which has been establishing a parallel administration.
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