Lawsuit against Thein Sein accepted

The Salingyi Township Court in Monywa district, about nine kilometres from the protest site, yesterday accepted the case filed by Win Win Htay and Yi Win of Setee Village in Phaungkata Village-tract and Zaw Naing of Moegyopyin Middle Village. The three plaintiffs, who were accompanied by 35 residents of villages near the copper mine, said they had filed the suit against Thein Sein because they believed he was most responsible for the crackdown. 

 “Judge Khin Khin Swe from the township court accepted the case at around 2pm yesterday. She told us to come to the court again on March 11, saying the case had to be submitted to higher level offices for further processing,” one of the local residents said. 

“When we considered who was most responsible for using water cannons, incendiary bombs and batons in the crackdown, we think that it is the president. It is because Section 132 of the Penal Code of Myanmar states that a lawsuit cannot be filed against government's armed organisations for committing such an offence without the consent of the president,” he added. 

The copper mine is owned and operated by China’s Wanbao Co and the military-owned Union of Myanmar Economics Holdings Ltd.

The Letpadaungtaung copper mine has drawn protests from local residents who say their land has been grabbed for the project. Last November riot police cracked down on a peaceful protest, inflaming public anger over the project.