Female teacher sentenced to 10 years in prison on charge of financing CDM soldier

Mya Htwee Shin, 29 April 2022

Daw Cherry Thet Shay, a female teacher hailing from Taungup Township in Rakhine State, was sentenced to 10 years in prison with the accusation of providing kyats 10,000 to a soldier associated with the CDM (civil disobedience movement).

Her lawyer informed that Cherry Thet Shay was charged under section 50 (j) of the Anti-Terrorism Act by the Thandwe district court on Thursday. She is presently inside the Thandwe prison.

She is expected to appeal in the higher court even though her family has no sufficient resources to pursue the case.

The 40-year-old high school teacher has been a CDM sympathiser since the military coup took place last year in Myanmar.

Cherry Thet Shay was picked up by the police and  army personnel from her residence on 20 November 2021. The Taungup army battalion filed a lawsuit alleging that she financially supported a CDM soldier, who returned after the PDF training.

Similarly,  Ma Tin Sandar Win (25), Nyein Ei Thu Kyaw (35) and  San Cho Theik (50) were sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Thandwe district court on 31 March under section 55 (j) of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

A few weeks back, a young Rakhine writer from Panmaw village  Min Di Pa was sentenced to 10 years in prison under section 50 (j) of the Criminal Code by the Mrauk-U district court.