Four female students aged under 18 were sentenced to nearly five years in prison by Pathein prison court accusing them of being members of the People’s Defense Force (PDF), the persons close to the court said.
A lawyer said: “They have not even turned 16. According to the verdict, they all shall have to stay in the female training school till they turn 20. This is equal to the prison term of over four or five years.”
They are aged between 15 and 16 from Pathein. Walonelay (aka) Ma Lin Lat Aung, Ma Aye Hnin Thu, Ma Thaw Tar Min and Ma Hmu Thwe San were sentenced by the Pathein district judge in Pathein prison court under Section 50 (j) and Section 52 (a) of the Counterterrorism Law on 7 April.
The military council also detained two boys in their 17s by accusing them of having ties to four girls via social media. Maung Kyaw Myat Hein from Ngaputaw Township and Maung Thet Ko Min from Chaungtha are being interrogated under Section 50 (j) and Section 52 (a) of the Counterterrorism Law, according to lawyers.
A person close to the family said: “They use facebook. They click like and write comments on some posts. The military council detained them as they did what the military council disliked. The military council extorted money and imprisoned them.
The Pathein District Judge asked for Ks-5 million from the parents of detained students, a person close to the families said.
An activist working for child rights said the sentencing of persons aged under 18 to nearly five years in prison without committing the crime is the violation of child rights law.
From 11 to 17 November, 2022, the military council arrested 14 high school students from Pathein, Ngaputaw and Kangyidaunt Townships citing that they attended the NUG’s federal online school.
Of 14 detained students, Maung Thet Ko Min, Maung Kyaw Myat Hein, Ma Lin Lat Aung, Ma Aye Hnin Thu, Ma Thawdar Min and Ma Hmu Thwe San were charged under Section 50 (j) and Section 52 (a) of the Counterterrorism Law.
The military council released other students, the persons close to the court said.
Sent by NMG
