The fishermen turned themselves in at the Pantanaw Township Police.

According to residents of the area, four of the women have children and the other two are elderly aged around 60 years.

An eyewitness at the scene, Win Kyi from Khanweykabo Village, told Mizzima, “They were taken by car from the court and taken into police custody. I feel very sad. Their family members were crying.”

Shortly after the fishermen handed themselves in to the police, they were taken to the Pantanaw Township Court. They have been charged with trespassing and theft. They were refused bail after their hearing when the court ruled to detain them in the custody until the next hearing on August 6, 2013.

The 25 fishermen were accompanied by about 40 villagers to the police station when they turned themselves in.

The plaintiff did not appear at the hearing conducted on July 31. The residents have alleged that the Pantanaw Police Station chief made a phone call to the plaintiff Kyin Nyein, the permit-holder of the lake, during the hearing.

In early 2013, Kyin Nyein, permit-holder of the fish farm, had filed a case against 27 fishermen from Khanwekabo village at the police station, alleging that they caught fish from his fish farm. In April, activist Nay Myo Zin, mediated between the fishermen and the Kyin Nyein. Consequently, the charges was dropped.

But in early July, policemen from the Khanwekabo Station tried to arrest the fishermen, causing them to flee to surrounding villages. The fishermen later decided to return and surrender to the police, according to the residents.

In response to Mizzima’s inquiry a day before he was arrested, Win Khine Ko, one of the fishermen said, “We are living below poverty level, we cannot evade anymore. Therefore, we will hand ourselves in to the police. We will know their decision tomorrow.”  

Nay Myo Zin, who is assisting the fishermen, alleged that the police arrested the fishermen because they do not want to oppose the permit-holder of the lake.