Court hands out 6-month term for army chief insult
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YANGON - The Hlaing Township judge has sentenced Khun Ja Lee, who was charged under Section 66(D) of the Telecommunication Act, to six months in prison for defaming the commander-in-chief.
Khun Ja Lee was arrested in Yangon in October last year for allegedly sharing a photo of a man in traditional Kachin dress stepping on a portrait of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
The judge said Khun Ja Lee’s act contravened cultural ethics, defaming the military chief.
Khun Khun Ja Lee could have been jailed for three years but he was suffering from asthma and was therefore given a more lenient term, the court said.
“It is injustice. This Telecommunications Act does not have by-laws yet and isn't finished. I don’t want anyone to be handled like me,” Khun Khun Ja Lee said.
EU, US and UK envoys and human rights activists observed the trial.
“The verdict was anticipated. In December, Chaw Sandi Tun, a member of the National League for Democracy, was sentenced to six months in jail for defamation for uploading a photo to Facebook that compared the colour of the army’s new uniforms to that of a sarong worn by NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi. It is not justice. Insufficient evidence was given,” Sabe Phyu, wife of Khun Khun Ja Lee, said.
Khun Ja Lee has already served three months of his sentence.
