Rakhine's former CM petitions for leave on medical ground, military council yet to consider

Narinjara News, 21 April 2023

Rakhine State’s former chief minister U Nyi Pu, currently detained in Sittwe prison, has applied for nine months time to undergo a cataract surgery, but the military council is yet to consider his appeal.

U Nyi Pu’s daughter Ma Kyi Kyi Oo said that the family submitted a memorandum to Rakhine CM U Htein Lin when he visited Gwa township a month back.

"My father is still deprived of medical treatment. We wrote a letter requesting the authority for the permission. But nothing has been resulted,” she added.

U Nyi Pu is facing eye problems since August 2022 and his family members are insisting on a cataract operation on his left eye.

However, as of now, he is not getting any medical treatment in the jail. He has been provided with eye drops only, said the family members.

The military junta arrested U Nyi Pu on the coup day (1 February 2021), but he was released after some hours. He was placed under house arrest for some days.

Later U Nyi Pu was rearrested on 10 February and subsequently sent to Sittwe prison.

He is now facing an imprisonment for 13 years, where two years were given for vote-fraudulence under article 130(a), nine years for corruption under section 55 of Anti-Corruption Act and two years with hard labour for violating section 505(b) of the Myanmar Penal Code.

Besides him, U Min Aung, U Kyaw Aye Thein, U Aung Kyaw Zan and U Kyaw Lwin, who were ministers in Rakhine State during the National League for Democracy (NLD) rule, were also arrested and currently detained in Sittwe prison.