By NYAN HLAING LYNN |
FRONTIER
NAY PYI TAW — State
Counsellor's Office spokesman U Zaw Htay has confirmed the Thursday arrest of
Rakhine political leader Dr Aye Maung at his home in Sittwe.
Pyithu Hluttaw speaker U Win
Myint had the previous day approved a police request for the arrest of the Ann
Township MP and former Arakan National Party leader, followingclashes between
police and Rakhine protestors in Mrauk U that claimed at least nine lives on
Tuesday. Read here: https://mirsdq.blogspot.com/2018/01/at-least-eight-killed-in-mrauk-u-clashes.html
Speaking to Frontier on
Thursday, Zaw Htay confirmed Aye Maung's arrest and said he had been
"handed over to authorities to file a lawsuit."
According to a statement
released late Wednesday night by the Ministry of Information, authorities in
Rathedaung Township have filed charges against Aye Maung under Section 17(1) of
the Unlawful Associations Act, as well of Sections 121 and 505 of the Penal
Code — clauses relating to “high treason” and incitement.
Aye Maung had given a speech
in the township on Tuesday to mark the anniversary of the fall of the Mrauk U
Kingdom in 1784, following the invasion of Burmese forces under the Konbaung
Dynasty.
According to a Wednesday
evening bulletin by the state broadcaster Myanmar Radio, Aye Maung had told a
crowd that Myanmar’s Bamar majority regarded Rakhine people as slaves and did
not grant them equal rights. He is alleged to have made a call for greater
sovereignty for the Rakhine community and discussed the need for armed struggle
to this end, an apparent reference to the Arakan Army insurgent group.
Aye Maung could not be
reached for comment by Frontier on Wednesday. Senior police officers declined
to comment when contacted.
News of the charges against
the Rakhine leader came the day after bloody clashes between police and
protestors in Mrauk U on Tuesday.
After representatives of the
town’s General Administration Department announced authorities would not permit
a planned public ceremony for the 1784 anniversary, thousands of protestors
marched to the GAD office for a demonstration that soon became unruly.
Tensions had risen after the
crowd learned of the arrest of Wai Hin Aung, a young Rakhine writer and civil
society leader who had been slated to speak at the gathering earlier that day.
He is now facing the same charges as those filed against Aye Maung, who had
been barred from entering Mrauk U Tuesday and instead delivered his planned
speech in Rathedaung.
In addition to the nine
confirmed dead by the Mrauk U hospital, around 20 protestors are believed to
have suffered serious injuries.
Numerous police have been
deployed from elsewhere in the state to guard the local hospital and other
public buildings.
The United Nations in
Myanmar condemned the violence on Wednesday and called for a full investigation
of the police response.
“The United Nations in
Myanmar is following with concern the reports of violent clashes between the
police and protesters in Mrauk U,” said UN Resident Coordinator spokesman Mr
Stanislav Saling. “We deplore the loss of life and injuries that have been reported
… We urge authorities to investigate any disproportionate use of force or other
illegal actions that may have occurred in relation to this incident.”
Elected to the Amyotha
Hluttaw in the 2010 elections, Aye Maung sought the chief ministry of Rakhine
State in 2015, an ambition thwarted by his losing bid for a state assembly seat
in that year’s general election.
He returned to the Nay Pyi
Taw parliament last year, following a by-election to replace Union Immigration
Minister U Thein Swe in Ann Township.
Aye Maung quit the ANP late
last year, in the wake of deep divisions within the party that had lay dormant
following the party’s strong electoral showing in 2015.