He is being held at Mandalay’s Oboe prison and his next hearing is scheduled for February 22
The detained vice chair of the National League for Democracy (NLD) has been charged with incitement after the party issued a series of statements calling on the public to resist the military’s coup.
Zaw Myint Maung, who is also the ousted chief minister of Mandalay, was arrested amid early morning raids on February 1 and later placed under house arrest.
An assistant director at the regional General Administration Department filed a case against him on February 15 under section 505b of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of up to two years.
His hearing on Thursday at the Aung Myay Tharzan township court was held via a video link as a large crowd gathered outside the court to support him.
“The police were unable to bring the accused to the court due to security concerns and he was remanded in custody until February 22,” said Hla Myo Win, the court’s communication officer.
“He will be detained at Mandalay prison,” he added, referring to the city’s Oboe prison.
A team of five lawyers are working on the chief minister’s defense and have applied for power of attorney to represent him, Myo Min Zaw, a member of the legal team, told the press after the hearing.
The lawyers were not informed of the charges until the hearing on Thursday morning and have been unable to see him in person.
They are also representing Mandalay’s ousted mayor, Ye Lwin. Authorities are holding him incommunicado and refusing to disclose his whereabouts.
Almost 500 including Aung San Suu Kyi, president Win Myint, and most or all of the NLD’s chief ministers have been detained since Min Aung Hlaing seized power.
“We will continue our legal proceedings. If there is anything that is not in accordance with the law, we can also counter the authorities legally anytime,” said Tun Kyi, a member of the vice chair’s legal team.
Rakhine chief minister Nyi Pu was hit with the same charge as Zaw Myint Maung and his hearing has been scheduled for February 22 at a court in Sittwe, a senior NLD member said.
Mandalay’s regional environment minister, Myo Thit, and Shan state’s minister for planning and finance, Soe Nyunt Lwin, were also charged with incitement on Wednesday for declaring public holidays for government departments until the NLD returns to power.
The new regime has announced several amendments to the Penal Code aimed at stifling resistance.
Lawyers told Myanmar Now they are still unclear about the implications of the changes, but section 505b previously outlawed “any statement, rumour or report” likely to induce people to “commit an offence against the state.”
Authorities have also issued arrest warrants for incitement against 17 lawmakers who formed a parallel government after the February 1 coup to deny legitimacy to the new regime.
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