Mizzima
A Myanmar junta court in Hpakant Town, Mohnyin District, Kachin State has handed down a ten-year prison sentence to two leaders of the Hpakant Strike Committee, who were involved in efforts to overthrow the military dictatorship.
The Mohnyin District Court, on 18 January, imposed the sentence on the two strike leaders, Ko Myint Lwin and Ko Thein, citing violations of the Counter Terrorism Law, Sections 52 (a) and 50 (j), a member of the committee told Mizzima.
The rationale behind two leaders’ arrest, a Hpakant Strike Committee member said, was “due to their leadership roles within the Hpakant Strike Committee and their affiliation with the People’s Defense Force (PDF), they were arrested by junta.”
The junta forces apprehended both leaders on 8 June, 2023, in Kantharyar Village, Hpakant Township, while they were traveling by car. Ko Maung Aye was also present in the vehicle. During the arrest, junta troops fired shots at Ko Maung Aye, resulting in his death.
“Details regarding Ko Maung Aye’s role, whether he was the driver or a member of the Hpakant Strike Committee, remain unclear. As of now, his deceased body has not been returned to the family,” said a source in Hpakant town.
Ko Myint Lwin and Ko Thein have been sentenced to prison more than seven months following their arrest and subsequent interrogation by the military regime. The two leaders are reportedly being transferred to Mohnyin Prison.
As reported by residents in Hpakant, since the military coup, more than 100 people have been apprehended and detained in Hpakant Township for their involvement in alleged anti-military activities.
