CNI News

12 August 2022

A Rakhine youth accused of involvement in the death of a Thai citizen after his fingerprints were found on the scene would be released soon, Ko Thein Tun, a labour activist from the Migrant Workers’ Rights Network, who was helping the accused told the CNI.

A court in Songkhla Province examined the accused and three witnesses including Maung San Aye Ko on 9th August.

Ko Thein Tun told the CNI, “Maung San Aye Ko was sentenced to two years and one month in prison for smuggling migrants but he couldn’t be a broker. He was one of the five people for whom warrants were issued in the murder case but he was not involved in the case. His lawyer said Ko Aung Ko Win would surely be acquitted but it was difficult to tell how many court hearings it would take. The next hearing is scheduled on 25th August. Evidence against him was inconclusive and was not sound enough to send him to prison. However, other accused like Chit Ko Ko have not been tried at the court. The court will give its verdicts after all the accused have been tried.”

Four out of the five people for whom warrants were issued are at large and Chit Ko Ko, who was detained with Maung San Aye Ko, will be examined at the court on 25th August.

Maung San Aye, who was sentenced to 2 years and one month in prison for smuggling migrants.

The Rakhine youth whose fingerprints were found on the scene was from Kyai Te Village in Sittwe and his father is a carpenter. He mortgaged his house to send two of his sons to work in Malaysia together with some people from the village.

She was glad to hear that her son would be released soon, Daw Than Kyi May, the mother of Ko Aung Ko Win, told the CNI.

“I couldn’t eat or sleep well before I heard the news. Now, I am glad and can do everything as usual. My health has imporved because my son would be released soon. My husband was so excited that he could not sleep the whole night. It was one of the happiest days in my life. I think I will be happier when my son arrive back. Although we are poor, we will lead a happy family life together with all family members and will be able to eat two meals a day by taking up whatever jobs we can get,” she said.

The two witnesses who appeared at the court were not able to provide enough evidence to prove that the accused was involved in the crime and they were released on 9th August before being sent to a immigration detention centre at the border on 11th August to repatriate to Myanmar.

The mother of the accused, Ko Aung Ko Win

The accused will be repatriated to Myanmar after the court has reached a verdict, said Ko Thein Tun of the MWRN.

“However, we don’t know whether the court will prosecute him for illegally entering Thailand. It depends on the judge but I don’t think so because he has been in police custody for a long time. Moreover, authorities have released more than 400 people who were detained for the case. All of them including Hnin Wutye and Tun Min Soe were sent to the immigration detention centre. He will surely be acquitted but will have to appear at the court until the case has been closed,” he said.

The accused has been standing trial since June and the MWRN is offering assistance for him.