December 8, 2024.
U Pyinnya Zawta, a former political prisoner and monk with American citizenship, was brought before the Mingaladon District Court on December 5, marking his first court appearance since his arrest. Following the hearing, he was transferred to Insein Prison, according to sources close to him.
The junta has charged U Pyinnya Zawta under three legal provisions, including Section 50(j) of the Counter-Terrorism Law, which carries penalties ranging from a minimum of 10 years imprisonment to life imprisonment. A lawyer familiar with the case revealed that the charges also include Section 505(a) of the Penal Code and Section 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law.
“U Pyinnya Zawta is charged under Section 505(a) at the Special Court inside Insein Prison, while Section 66(d) will be prosecuted at the Mingaladon Township Court. The Counter-Terrorism charge will proceed at the Mingaladon District Court,” the lawyer explained.
Although Section 50(j) is typically used against those linked to the National Unity Government (NUG) and the People’s Defence Forces (PDF), it remains unclear why the junta has applied this charge against U Pyinnya Zawta.
The Mingaladon Township police chief initiated the charges against the monk, who was detained on November 13 near Sawbwagyigone in Yangon. Authorities subsequently defrocked him under the directive of the Mingaladon Sangha Nayaka Committee before presenting him in court.
According to an anonymous source close to U Pyinnya Zawta, he is currently held in Insein Prison’s main facility.
U Pyinnya Zawta has a history of political activism, having been imprisoned in 1990 for opposing the military regime. He later became a leading figure in the 2007 Saffron Revolution. To avoid further arrests, he moved to the United States, where he resides in Buffalo, New York, while continuing religious and humanitarian efforts in Myanmar.
He was detained during a recent visit to Myanmar, which he entered legally with a visa to engage in religious activities.
