The regime has charged a member of a youth group in Tedim after he used a megaphone in June to announce a warning previously issued by the Zoland People’s Defence Force (PDF).
Inkhat Moon of the Shalom Youth Committee was charged with Article 505 (b). The young man appeared in court on 12 July. While his trial is ongoing, he’s being held in a police detention centre, according to an anonymous local source familiar with him.
The PDF, which opposes the regime, issued a statement in June warning of possible violence against teachers, parents and religious leaders who don’t participate in the civil disobedience movement. The resistance group suspected that the military junta might target them and then blame the opponents of the dictatorship.
“If there’s violence in the school, it’s not our fault and we’d never hurt our people,” an anonymous PDF officer told Khonumthung News in June.
The regime has been trying to reopen schools across the country, which have been closed since teachers and students refused to attend them until the military returned power to the democratic government.
Liang Sheng Hmong of the Shalom Youth Committee was arrested at the same time as Inkhat Moon, but released on 5 July. Religious leaders and other prominent citizens are calling on the Burma Army to release Inkhat Moon as well.
Article 505(b) punishes making, publishing or disseminating of “any statement, rumours or report, with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or against the public tranquility” with a jail term of two years or fine or both.