They were sentenced to two to three years of imprisonment with labour by the Kyauk Pru Township court on Wednesday. According to the family sources, the judicial magistrate in Kyauk Pru Township court passed the verdict at 10:30 AM on 13 July.

One of the convicts Ko Maung Aye is the chairman of Kyauk Pru Township rural area development association. Hails from Lake Kamaw village under Kyauk Pru Township, he was sentenced to two years of imprisonment under the unlawful association act  17 (1).

The other convicts namely  Ko Tun Tha Pru from Yin Ye Gan village under Pauk Taw township and Ko Zaw Win Maung from Kular Chaung Village under Ponna Kyunt township were sent to jail for three years under the same section  of laws.

U Tin Myint, the defense lawyer representing the three Arakanese nationals did not prefer to comment over the verdict and hinted that he would like to appeal in the highest court.

The convicts were rounded up in Ko Maung Aye’s residence on 21 January and later detained with the suspicion of having connections with the AA , which is based in KIA area near the China border. Recently the ethnic armed outfit is trying to shift their bases to western Burma.

Earlier thirteen Arakanese youths, who were picked up from various parts of Arakan in connection with their involvement with the Arakan outfit were sentenced on 17 June to three years of imprisonment with labour by the Sittwe township court.