Mya Htwe Shin, Narinjara News, 26 April 2022

In Maungdaw township, situated on the western border of Rakhine State, at least four people were sentenced tolong term imprisonment in connectionwith links to Arakan Army (AA) within month of April.

On 21 April, the Maungdaw district court sentenced Nyi Nyi Naing (28 years old) from ward number 3 and UAung Hla Thein (46) from Ngwe Taungvillage under Maungdaw township to 10 years in prison each under section 50 (i) of the Anti-TerrorismAct.

They were detained from Ngwe Taung village in 2029 on suspicion of maintaining links with the AA.

Earlier on 7 April,  two villagers namely  U Khin Maung Hla (41) andU Kyaw Naing (38) hailing fromPharwat Chaung village under Maungdaw township,were sentenced to 7 years in prison with hard labour by the Maungdaw district court under section50 (a)  and 51 (a) of the
Anti-Terrorism Act.

Kyaw Naing's wife, Daw Khin Win Kyi claimed that her husband is innocent and no way related to the AA.

“My husband was arrested on 19 December, but he had nothing to do with the AA,” she added.

Similarly, Khin Maung Hla’s wife Daw Thandar Hlaing informed Narinjara News that  the imprisonment to herhusband under the anti-terrorism lawsis not justified as the military council had lately removed the terror tag from the AA.

“My husband is punished under the terrorist act, but the AA is no longer a terrorist outfit. The NasakaCouncil has already removed AA fromthe list of terror groups,” she asserted.

In Rakhine State, at least 70 people are behind bars in different places on suspicion of being linked tothe AA, stated the civil societygroups.

(Photo of U Khin Maung Hla  andU Kyaw Naing.)