Narinjara News, 31 July 2022

More people havenow been arrested and imprisoned for maintaining links with the Arakan Army(AA) in recent months.On  29 July, the Sittwe district court of Rakhine Statesentenced two people to jail for three years each.

U Maung Pu (38years old) and U Thar Zan (40) hail from Rathe Taung township and they werepunished under section 50(j) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, a person close to theminformed Narinjara News.

Both of them werearrested on 12 August 2020 from the Kyauktan joint checkpoint in Sittwe.They were prosecuted by captain Aung Myint Myat.

"They havebeen in prison for more than two years. So they need not stay behind the barsfor more time,” he added.

However, TharZan, who was arrested with Yaba stimulate pills may face a longer prison term for separatecharges.

U Myat Tun,director of Rakhine Human Rights Protection and Promoters Group, said thatafter the AA was demolished from the list of terrorist organizations bythe current military council, it is unfortunate to imprison someone withthe accusation of AA links.

From April to Julythis year, At least 25 Rakhine people were sentenced to prisons under varioussections of the Anti-Terrorism Act and many of them are reportedly linked tothe AA.