A verdict will be delivered next week in the case of four men, including the former municipal committee chairman of Arakan State’s Taungup Township, who were charged under Section 52(a) of the Counter-Terrorism Law over their alleged ties to the Arakan Army (AA).
The court heard the seven defence witnesses at the previous court hearing. At the court hearing on Wednesday, lawyers from the two sides presented their final arguments, and the court set the next hearing date for March 30, according to defence lawyer Daw Theingi Maung.
“The prosecutor presented final arguments and we also presented final arguments for the four accused. The court appointed March 30 to deliver the verdict,” said Daw Theingi Maung.
U San Ngwe, who was at the time serving as the township development committee chairman, was arrested along with vice chairman of the Arakan National Party in Taungup Township U Wai Thaung, former township development committee chairman U Zeya Kyaw and his brother U Sithu Kyaw Zan in May of last year on suspicion of having ties to the AA.
On June 30, police major Zaw Myint Tun of Sittwe Special Branch Police filed a lawsuit against the four for allegedly having ties and supplying food to the AA, which the government had declared to be a terrorist and unlawful organisation. Myanmar’s military regime recently removed the AA from the list of terrorist organisations, but the group remains an unlawful association.
The four have been held in detention for around nine months since their arrest, and there have been more than 20 court hearings. If convicted, they face three to seven years in prison.
Daw San San Aye, the wife of U San Ngwe, said she believes the four will be acquitted.
“I hope my husband will be released. He didn’t do anything wrong. There is no evidence against him. So I believe he will be released,” said Daw San San Aye.
Hundreds of people have been arrested on suspicion of having illegal ties to the Arakan Army amid fighting between the military and the ethnic armed group since the conflict first flared in late 2018.
The families of detainees charged under the Counter-Terrorism Law over alleged AA ties have said they expect the release of the accused after Myanmar’s military regime removed the Arakanese rebel group from its list of terrorist groups on March 11.
