This is Burma's army commander in chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing to discredit the civilian government
I would like to explain to the foreign diplomat, Human Right campaigners and journalists who are interested in Burma especially about Rakhine state. I have also written an article about refuting the article in New York Times stating that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is obstructing the release of Reuter’s journalist in the past. That article quoted the journalist who is also military informer called Thar Lon Zain Htet. In fact, the army general Min Aung Hlaing is the one who didn’t want to release these two journalists. The President U Win Myint was criticised by the army sympathisers and there were riots in Burma’s prison to pressure the civilian government. These riots are organised by the military backed prison department which is also under the military due to 2008 constitution. As you know, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi government was elected to power and formed a government in 2016. The constitution drafted in 2008 gave the power to the military to manage its own affairs including court martial. Therefore, all military men are immune from civil court and court martial decides about them for whatever crimes they commit. This is from minor petty crimes to the war crimes.
As everybody knows, two Reuter’s journalist Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo did manage to highlight some crimes committed by the army. As a result 7 military men were sentenced to 10 years in Prison. However, they appealed to the commander in chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and they were pardoned by him and released them in November 2018. The civilians who were sentenced to jail for the same crime are still in the prison. Myanmar President U Win Myint and State counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi have no say in the military and court martial as per 2008 constitution. In fact, they are not even aware of the fact that Min Aung Hlaing has ordered to release them until yesterday 27th May when Reuter published the news because ministry of home affairs in Burma is still under the military and they control the prison department as well.
Therefore, if any foreign countries have any problem with it, you should aim your anger at the person who released them and target your sanctions against the particular group not the whole nation. The civilian government has no power under constitution to arrest any soldiers. The NLD government is trying to change the constitution in order to avoid the similar situation in the country and I hope that all western countries will help in that effort to change the constitution. In Burma, the struggle for Democracy is not yet over and we need to change the constitution to prevent the massacre in the country like 1988 and 2007 and also in the ethnic areas. I hope you will help us in that change with our President U Win Myint and our state counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
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