Paletwa judge gone missing after threatened by junta forces

Narinjara News, 27 July 2022

The Paletwa district judge of Chin State has gone missing without any contact for five days after he was threatened by the military council, said a reliable source to Narinjara News on Tuesday.

The 50-year-old judge U Maung Maung Thein heard the appeal of local social worker Tin Tun Aung, who was sentenced to three years in prison for defaming the State, on 20 July and reduced the prison term to two years.

According to family sources, on 7 April, Paletwa township court of Chin State has sentenced Ko Tin Tun Aung, a social worker and government health worker, to three years in prison under section 505 (a) of the defamation act for speaking to media over hoisting a white flag in a Paletwa-based military battalion.

After that, Tin Tun Aung's family submitted an appeal to district court to reduce the prison term. On July 20, the Paletwa district judge U Maung Maung Thein heard the appeal and reduced the prison term to two years.

Because of the decision, the military council expressed dissatisfaction over reduce of prison term and allegedly threatened the judge. Tin Tun Aung was convicted following a complaint by the LIB (289) battalion based in Paletwa. 

A local from Paletwa said, "On July 20 at 11:00 pm, a military column entered at his residence in the Paletwa township court premises and threatened the judge. Since then he had gone missing."

Maybe he was arrested by the army or ran away to escape the military atrocities, revealed the local.

Meanwhile, the judge’s cellphone remains switched off. Narinjara News is looking for portable information about the judge whose family is now worried about him.