A mill owner from Kar Di village in Kyauktaw and his companion who had gone “missing” for more than two months, with the regime denying any knowledge of them, have now been charged under the Unlawful Association Act.

In fact,  the two were arrested on October 2nd after being invited to the military camp by the commander of the Kan Sauk-based 539th Battalion in Kyauktaw.

Atthe time U Hla Maung Than’s wife, Daw Hla Aye San had revealed that her husband was missing, and media outlets including Narinjara reported it, but the Military Council denied that the two had been arrested.

U Hla Maung Than and U Maung That Soe his companion, had been arrested since they went to the 539th Battalion, after receiving a phone call from its commander at around 5:30 PM on October 2nd.

The two men charged are: U Hla Maung Than (43), a mill owner from Kar Di (aka) Thazin village, and an A Puak Wa villager Maung Che (aka) U Maung Thet Soe (39).Only now has his wife Daw Hla Aye San found out the truth.

"My husband was detained at Station No. 1 in Sittwe on October 2nd. He was charged under Section 17(1). I was able to see him briefly when he was remanded in court on December 6th”.

Family members were saddened by being lied to without openly notifying the arrest, and the unfair charge, Daw Hla Aye San said it was very unfair to be given the runaround in this case. She also revealed that the case has been scheduled for trial on December 19th.

She added that, “ They were unjustly arrested. I want them to be released as soon as possible, because they are innocent.”