Dr Aye Maung sacked from MP role and blocked from contesting future elections

Htun Khaing (Taung Yin Gyun)

Narinjara News, 21 May 2020

Prominent Rakhine leader Dr Aye Maung has been removed from his role as Pyithu Hluttaw representative for Ann Township, and has been barred from contesting future elections, according to the Union Election Commission statement issued on May 18.

Dr Aye Maung was elected as Pyithu Hluttaw representative for Ann Township, Rakhine in byelections held on April 1, 2017.

Despite submitting appeals to different levels of courts Dr Aye Maung was convicted by Sittwe district court and sent to prison on March 19 2019. The Union Election Commission statement said they had analysed Dr Aye Maung’s conviction of high treason and defamation of the state. 

Dr Aye Maung is no longer a Pyithu Hluttaw representative and has been terminated from being an elected Pyithu Hluttaw representative as per Sittwe district court order made on March 19 2019 for his infringement of the Pyithu Hluttaw Election Law Section 11 (d), the statement said.

In accordance with the Pyithu Hlutttaw Law 88 Section (a) Dr Aye Maung is not permitted to  contest as a candidate in future elections for the Pyithu Hluttaw, the Amyotha Hluttaw, and the Region or State Hluttaw, the statement said.

Rathetaung Township Amyotha Hluttaw representative U Kin Maung Let commented on the statement.  “I believe that this announcement is detrimental to the dignity and reputation of a member of parliament.  Doing this to the leader who has the support of an ethnic group is just a way of oppressing all ethnic groups.  Even after being sent to prison, national and world leaders are still leaders.  This law needs to be changed” he said.

Amyotha representative U Way Sein Aung said “Parliamentarians held a meeting on this. He has been convicted and sent to prison, he has appealed, it’s done and dusted, so today they announced that he shouldn’t be a Hluttaw representative. He must be removed from parliament, that’s the law.  Someone who has been sent to prison cannot be a member of parliament. This has been decided and is in line with the law”.

Dr Aye Maung together with author Wai Han Aung were arrested for giving an allegedly inflammatory speech at a literary festival commemorating the fall of the Rakhine kingdom in Rathetaung.  The two were sentenced to 20 years in prison at Sittwe district court on March 19 2019.