Former KBC chair sentenced to six years in prison

Narinjara News, April 10, 2023

The former chair of the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC), Baptist Reverend, Dr. Hkalam Samson was sentenced to six years in prison by the military council on 7 April, according to the persons close to him.

He was sentenced to six years in prison—two years for Section 17 (a), one year for Section 505 (a) and three years for Section 52 (a), according to the Myitkyina Court.

“He was unfairly imprisoned. I don’t want to give any comments about it. I think they (military) are doing what they want as they are in power,” a person close to him told Narinjara.

The military council detained Dr. Hkalam Samson when he was waiting at Mandalay Airport to leave for Thailand for medical treatment on 5 December, 2022.

Major Thu Aung Zaw from the Northern Command filed a case against him under Section 17 (1) of the Unlawful Association Act and Section 505 (a) of the Penal Code.

On 14 March, the military council opened a case against him under Section 52 (a) of the Counter-Terrorism Law, according to a person close to the court.

Dr. Hkalam Samson was charged under Section 17 (1) of the Unlawful Association Act as he met chair of Kachin Independence Organization/Kachin Independence Army (KIO/KIA) General N’ban La and Major General Gun Maw in January, 2022, lawyers said.

The military council charged him under Section 505 (a) as he said at a youth conference in an Asian country that “Let’s establish the State in Jesus”. He was charged under Section 52 (a) as he met Acting President of the National Unity Government Duwa Lashi La, Dr. Tu Hkawng and Daw Jar Htwal Pan.