In the case of 13 people from Shin Let Wa village in Chin State’s Paletwa Township, who have been charged under section 17 (1) and (2) of the Unlawful Association Act, four prosecution witnesses have been questioned at Sittwe township court up to 3 July, according to their lawyer.

The 13 villagers have been charged with aiding and abetting members of the Arakan Army.

An administrator and the chief of police in Shin Let Wa village appeared as witnesses for the prosecution at the 13th court hearing on Wednesday, lawyer U Tun Hla said.

At the previous court hearing, an administrator and 100-House Group Elder of Myo Thit Ward in Kyauktaw Town, were questioned, he said.

U Tun Hla said that a prosecution witness, the police chief in Shin Let Wa village said at the court hearing yesterday that the 13 accused have been charged based on statements that were issued from three other villagers, who are now in prison.

The three other villagers are also from Shin Let Wa village and the Paletwa township court sentenced them to three years imprisonment in April under section 17 (1) and (2) of the Unlawful Association Act, he explained.

“After being interrogated and tortured, the three villagers may give up the information the interrogators want so they’re not beaten anymore. So, the 13 Chin Let Wa villagers have been charged based on links with the imprisoned people,” he explained.

The 13 accused are 11 people from Shin Let Wa village and a couple who owned the house the villagers stayed in.

Some of them are relatives of the owner of the house and some arrived at the house as displaced people from their volatile village. They arrived at the house in Kyauktaw in May, and were arrested, their family members said.

Major Naing Aung Phyo from No. 375 Light Infantry Regiment based in Kyauktaw brought the prosecution to the Kyauktaw township court, but the accused were transferred to Sittwe township court in May for security reasons.

There are 13 prosecution witnesses for the case and only four have been examined now.