Rakhine State High Court on Monday rejected the appeal by Former Lower House MP Dr Aye Maung and Author, Wai Han Aung who were sentenced to 20 years in prison on March 19.

Sittwe District Court sentenced the two ethnic Rakhine Men as the State Government charged the duo for high treason and public mischief after their public summon in Mrauk Oo and Rathidaung townships in January of 2018.

" It is not reaching to the stage of both sides argument yet. We just began our application of the appeal. It is the stage of whether acceptable or not. But, it has been turned down in this application stage. We just apply it today and it is rejected at once," said U Kyaw Nyunt Maung, the lawyer of both Dr Aye Maung and Wai Han Aung told Narinjara News.

The lawyer added that they will continue to make a further appeal to the country’s Supreme Court, based in the capital Naypyidaw.

U Thein Win, the brother of Wai Han Aung said, "we did not expect too much on this appeal since they were under arrest, there was no hopeful potential by law. As I am the one who is seeing everything happening in this case, I really thought that I should respect the law and by law. That’s why; I went it all according to law. But, the judgment was too much political and so serious. It is politically oppression and bullying of ethnic."

The Prominent Politician Dr Aye Maung and Author Wai Han Aung both were arrested at a literature talk ceremony held in Rathidaung township by Myanmar Authority last year as they were said to have been using the terms which could disrespectful to the State and charged by Rakhine State Government.

The two jailed Rakhine men were sent to Insein prison from Sittwe since April.