A 58-year-old man was arrested under new election laws for criticising the polls in a private Facebook chat, as the junta cracks down on dissent
YANGON: Myanmar’s military junta announced the arrest of a man for sending anti-election messages in a private Facebook chat.
The arrest utilises broad new legislation that rights groups say is being used to crush dissent and curb personal liberties.
The junta seized power in a 2021 coup, plunging the country into a multi-sided civil war.
It has promised that polls starting in late December will move Myanmar towards peace and democracy.
Deposed lawmakers, human rights monitors, and rebel groups have dismissed the election as a charade to disguise ongoing military rule.
Ahead of the poll, the government introduced legislation punishing protest or criticism of the election with up to a decade in prison.
A junta statement said 58-year-old Khaing Soe from a village near Yangon was arrested under this law on Friday.
He “was exposed and arrested for writing texts on Messenger using his ‘Khaing Soe’ Facebook Account with the intent to frustrate election processes and mislead the public”, it said.
The statement provided few details about the alleged offence or how authorities accessed his private messages.
“Action is being taken to ensure he receives an effective penalty,” it added.
Two other men were also arrested, one for a Facebook post and one for vandalising an election billboard.
The statement noted 11 other cases were opened against groups or individuals.
The junta has opened more than 100 cases under the election disruption law, according to an AFP tally.
Some cases target rebel fighters operating beyond the military’s reach.
A UN rights office spokesman warned last week that “the military has stepped up mass electronic surveillance to identify dissidents”.
Myanmar enjoyed a decade-long democratic thaw starting in 2010, seeing Aung San Suu Kyi become an elected figurehead.
She was toppled and has been jailed since the February 2021 putsch.
Her party has been dissolved and will not appear on ballots when voting begins on December 28. – AFP
