Yangon, February (7)
The military council has stepped up its actions against supporters of opposition organizations such as the National Unity Government (NUG), the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), and affiliated groups on social media.
The pro-military Telegram accounts are calling on the military council to arrest supporters of opposition groups, and Than Lwin Times has looked into these incidents as much as possible and found that from February 2022 to February 3 this year, the military council arrested more than 280 Facebook users , but the number on the ground may be much higher.
The military council opened cases against the detainees under Section 52 (A) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, Section 124(a) of Penal Code, Section 505 (a) of the Penal Code, and Section 33 (a) of the Electronic Communications Act. These offenses carry a maximum sentence of three years to life imprisonment.
In propaganda publications, the military organization has stated that under the Anti-Terrorism Act, both moveable and immovable property related to crimes may be seized, and that if the accused is found guilty, they will be seized as state treasures.
A lawyer pointed out that this action contradicts the provisions of the constitution, which allow individual citizens to freely express their opinions and beliefs. Therefore, the military council’s claim that it is moving towards democracy is just a lie.
The spokesperson of the National Unity Government (NUG)’s Prime Minister’s Office, U Nay Phone Latt, said that the military regime, which itself is living in fear, is threatening the public again.
Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun said at the Military Council’s press conference on September 20 that if people like and share the posts of NUG, CRP, and PDF on social media pages such as Facebook, action will be taken under Section 124 (b) of the Penal Code.
Human rights activist Nang Moh Moh told Than Lwin Times that the military council’s restrictions on individuals’ political opinion, exchange of views, freedom of expression, and access to information are a violation of a citizen’s rights and human rights as a whole.
The Central Committee for Counter-Terrorism (CCCT) of the Military Council is sending SMS messages to phone users, warning them that playing games that endorse resistance organizations and embed advertisements in them may result in prosecution.
The Central Committee for Counter-Terrorism (CCCT) of the Military Council has shut down 1,580 Facebook accounts supporting resistance groups, 240 Facebook accounts funding them, and 1,071 Facebook accounts related to Article 505, according to a secret directive leaked on January 10.
News-Than Lwin Tiimes
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