19 Alleged Members of Taliban Group Brought to Trial

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By Takaloo
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19 people who were recently arrested by Nasaka, Burmese border security forces, reportedly on suspicion of having links to the Taliban, were brought before the court on Wednesday in Maungdaw Township in western Burma's Arakan State.

An official from the Maungdaw Township court told Narinjara that the defendants were brought to trial after they were made to confess their crimes before the judge of the court by Nasaka.

"They were produced in court this morning. The court has accepted the lawsuit against them, after hearing their confession to their crimes. Nasaka has brought them to court for their confessions before the judge on 28 March and 1 April," said the official.

According to the source, Nasaka has charged the defendants under the law regarding forming or connecting to illegal organizations, sections 17(1) and 17(2). The main plaintiff in the lawsuit is Pol. Major Aung Tha Win, the in-charge of the Three Mile Nasaka Gate in Maungdaw.

The men who have been brought to trial are as follows:

1. U Zaw Win (a) Feruk Alam or Kalu (Ex-VPDC Chairman), Son of U Maung Shwe (a) Mohammed Shafi, from Khamaung Seik Village

2. U Kyaw Maung (a) Abu Kalam (Ex-VPDC Chairman), Son of U Hla Shwe (a) Abdu Shafi, from North Khamaung Seik Village

3. U Chit Maung (a) Dil Mohammed (Ex-VPDC Secretary), Son of U Ali Hussain, from North Khamaung Seik Village

4. U Chit Naing (a) Shafi Ul Musa, Son of U Chit Maung (a) Dil Mohammed, from North Khamaung Seik Village

5. U Saw Lwin (a) Mohammed Karim, Son of U Chit Maung (a) Dil Mohammed, from North Khamaung Seik Village

6. U Hla Myint (a) Shafi Alam, Son of U Mohammed Shafi, from South Khamaung Seik Village

7. U Fazal Ali, Son of Fazal Karim (a) Sayed Hussain from Bandra Village

8. U Saw Lwin (a) Salim, Son of U Nazir Ahmed, from Saidula Khwa Sone Village

9. U Ziabul Haque (a) Moulivi Hossain (Ex-VPDC Chairman), from Rae Aung Village

10. U Abu Toyub, Son of U Shamshul Alam, from Kraung Nabay Village

11. U Khin Maung Aye (a) Sirazul Haque, Son of U Asharaf Zamal, from East Tha Htay Chaung Village.

12. U Mohammed Ayat, Son of U Mohammed Illyas, from Raybawkya Khamaung Seik Village

13. U Kyaw Naing (a) Ali Juhar, Son of U Zafar Ahmed, from Raebawkya Khamaung Seik Village

14. U Mohammed Shafi, Son of U Abdul Malek, from Maung Khin Group Village

15. U Mustaf Ahmed, Son of U Mozu Mia, from East Khamaung Seik Village

16. U Dil Mohammed, Son of U Bawzal Rahman, from East Rae Aung Village

17. U Musaf Korlil, Son of U Bashu, from Khamaung Seik Village

18. U Tin Shwe (a) Abdul Zalil, Son of U Azim Uddin, from Rwa Thike Village

19. U Ferous Ahmed, Son of U Abdu Zabber, from Saidula Khwa Sone Village

The official also said that security was being kept tight around the court during the duration of the trial with armed riot police and Nasaka personnel from 11:30 am on Wednesday, and no outsider was allowed to enter the court premises.

According to a source in Nasaka, over 100 people from the villages nearby Nasaka Areas No. 1 and No. 2 in northern Maungdaw were arrested by Nasaka forces after they arrested U Zaw Win, alias Kalu, on 4 March along with jihadist books, a seal, and documents that allegedly connected the group to armed groups in Bangladesh.

Only 19 of the arrestees who are deemed to be leaders of the group have been brought to trial, although the rest are still being detained at Nasaka headquarters in Maungdaw's Kyikanpyin and in the stations of Nasaka Areas No. 1 and No. 2.

One of the alleged leaders of the group, Islamic clergy and Arabic teacher Moulivi Farid, was reportedly killed in custody after being tortured during interrogation by Nasaka.