NLD member targeted in controversial Facebook post
Presidential spokesperson and information minister Ye Htut took to Facebook to denounce a photo that he alleges was originally posted by Myo Yan Naung Thein, a senior member of the National League for Democracy (NLD).
He said an investigation will be launched to determine whether Myo Yan Naung Thein posted the photo of Thein Sein or not.
Myo Yan Naung Thein, who is the director of the NLD’s Bayda Institute, denied the accusation.
The photo shows President Thein Sein carrying a child in his arms during a recent trip with the caption “By the way, there have been many cases of underage rape committed by old bats recently.”
The original text of the caption described Thein Sein as a president who loves children before it was edited.
The edited photo appeared on Myo Yan Naung Thein’s Facebook account.
Hmuu Zaw, a senior official in the President’s Office, said he was not surprised to see that there are radicals circulating such content using social media, especially as the election will be held this year. But he was surprised to see a senior member of the NLD do such a thing.
Hmuu Zaw also said he is concerned about the way political science is taught at the Bayda Institute.
“[The institute] fails to follow ‘the dignity of politics’ as expressed by Aung San Suu Kyi. This is why General Aung San said, ‘Politics is not dirty; politicians make it dirty’.”
“If the post was posted by him, I feel distressed for the party’s image and his ethics,” Ye Htut said.
Asked to clarify the issue, Myo Yan Naung Thein said the Facebook page showing the photo could not be his.
Saying that he was in Naga region on January 14 and had no access to Facebook, he said that he didn’t criticise the president under the instruction of the party’s leader.
“I don’t want to damage my party’s reputation. I haven’t criticised him on anything since the Myanmar Herald Journal case. The party leaders warned me not to (criticise him),” he said, noting that his Facebook page’s cover photo showed him and US President Barack Obama. The page not showing such photo does not belong to him, he said.
Ministry of Information sued 11 staff members of the Myanmar Herald Journal for publishing an interview with Myo Yan Naung Thein criticising the president. Myo Yan Naung Thein was not sued.
“The last posts I shared were about Win Maw and the NLD education network,” he said. “When I can access the Internet, I will check my Facebook account and see if it was hacked or not. May be someone framed me. It is very despicable of them to do that. Politicians need to have dignity.”
