By TON Myanmar

The People of Rakhine Villagers accused of terrorism are currently in miserable conditions in Myanmar Jails. Legal limbo in the case of two men from Ponnagyun Township in Rakhine State has taken more than two years after they were arrested on suspicion of having links with the Arakan Army (AA) in March 2020.

The villagers from Ai Tin village were arrested at the Kyauktan checkpoint in the suburbs of the state capital Sittwe on their return to the village by motorcycle. Myanmar’s military filed a charge against them under Article 52(a) of the Counter-Terrorism Law as the photos of AA fighters were found on their phones.

The concerned Court was supposed to deliver a verdict in similar cases in April last year after all the prosecution witnesses appeared but it the case is being lingered on deprived of a ruling to quit these civilians. The court has postponed the verdict again and again, which is not good for them and disturbed their families.

During a court hearing in May, the accused raised objections but the judge did not even bother to respond. In another case, villagers from Kyaukseik in Ponnagyun Township have also spent more than two years in prison after their court deferred the ruling. The five were arrested in April 2020 and charged under the Counter-Terrorism Law over their alleged connections with the Arakan Army (AA). The current judge adjourned the hearing saying that he is still studying the case.

On April 19, 2020, the regime soldiers detained 38 villagers from Kyaukseik and cases have been opened against some of them. A video of the five villagers being beaten by soldiers during interrogation on a naval vessel was shared widely on social media in May 2020.

At the time, a military spokesman said action would be taken against the soldiers who beat the five villagers. However, no actions have been taken against them. Moreover, in June 2020 six villagers from Sar Pyin and Chet Pauk in Taungup Township also have been on a terrorism trial for more than two years at the Thandwe District Court. They were imprisoned and accused of allegedly funding terrorism.

Ironically, those cases should be dropped since the Arakan Army (AA) was removed from the list of terrorist organizations. Judges and legal officers should ask for a straight answer from the central government regarding the cases.

However, the regime released relatives of the Arakan Army (AA) chief Major General and some Rakhine villagers who were impeached on suspicion of having ties with the AA but more than 30 Rakhine villagers are still on terrorism trial at courts in Sittwe, Mrauk-U, and Thandwe.

As the AA has been removed from the list of terrorist groups the accused should now be released. However, they are still locked in the circle of being brought to court and then back to prison. This has caused many predicaments for families. This is a gross human rights violation.

Earlier this month, the regime opened a case against a man and woman from Kyaukphyu Township under Article 505(a) of the Penal Code for allegedly collecting funds for the AA. It has also detained two Rakhine people and two Chin residents in Paletwa Township, Chin State, on suspicion of having links to the Arakan Army (AA).

As it is also highly condemnable that the junta troops in the prison used rubber bullets and commit extreme violence against the political prisoners in Myanmar regime jails. They used the sharp cane to stab the prisoners. They deny the water and food for the whole day to the prisoners.

They also used shots with pebbles against the inmates. It is time that the international community along with ASEAN should force the regime to free all these political prisoners along with the civilians in a bid to bring normalcy to the war-torn Myanmar,