Activist Ko Than Hla, who demanded justice, sentenced to 15 days in prison

Ni Min Tun

Narinjara News, 24 March 2020

Rakhine youth leader and activist Ko Than Hla (also known as Min Bar Chay) has been sentenced to 15 days prison, it has been reported.  He had led protests demanding justice for those unlawfully detained, tortured and killed in relation to the current conflict in Rakhine State.

Ko Than Hla was sentenced to 15 days imprisonment under the Peaceful Assembly Act (Article 19) on March 20 at Sittwe Township Court.  He had been facing the charges for the past six months. 

The attorney prosecuting the case, U Aung Sit Min spoke about the case.  “He was prosecuted on two charges. First, he was protesting in front of Rakhine State Government without permission. The second charge was for demonstrating without permission in U Ottama Park.  In these two cases, the charge under the Peaceful Assembly charge in U Ottama Park was not liable to legal proceedings so we couldn’t charge him.  The charge of protesting in front of Rakhine State Government was liable to proceedings and he was sentenced to 15 days imprisonment” he said.

Although sentenced to 15 days and fined 20,000 Kyat, Ko Than Hla had protested his innocence and had said he would go to prison without paying the fine, U Aung Sit Min said.

On January 17 2018 Ko Than Hla had protested without permission in front of the Rakhine State Government in Sittwe against the killing of civilians by Police in Mrauk Oo on December 31.  Police had fired shots into the crowd killing and wounding a number of protestors.  

He was charged on two counts of protesting without permission on July 1 when he and other Rakhine youth activists had demonstrated in Sittwe’s U Ottama Park demanding justice for those civilians who were tortured and died during interrogation. 

Police had filed the lawsuits against the political activist Ko Than Hla (also known as Min Ba Chay) last year on September 20.