The Sittwe District Court on Monday rejected the appeal of former Arakan State Chief Minister U Nyi Pu, who was sentenced last month to two years’ imprisonment with hard labour, according to U Aung Myat Kyaw, a lawyer from the Thazin Legal Institute involved in the case.

“The appeal was for the court decision under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code ordered on October 8. The district court heard the appeal and dismissed it,” U Aung Myat Kyaw said.

Penal Code provision 505(b) has alternately described as applying to incitement and sedition. It has frequently been used to stifle dissent under successive Myanmar governments.  

Section 505(b) imposes a sentence of up to two years in prison for anyone who “makes, publishes, or circulates any statement, rumor, or report with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public, whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or against the public tranquility.”  

U Nyi Pu was arrested on February 1, the day the military seized power in a coup, and was subsequently put under house arrest. He was taken into custody again, however, on February 10, after he criticised the coup on social media the day prior.

U Aung Myat Kyaw said the case would be appealed to the Arakan State High Court.

U Nyi Pu, the state’s former chief minister under the National League for Democracy (NLD) government that was overthrown in the coup, has also been facing trial in another case under Myanmar’s Anti-Corruption Law.

Former Arakan State ministers for Planning and Finance U Kyaw Aye Thein; Electricity, Industry and Transportation U Aung Kyaw Zan; Agriculture, Irrigation, Forestry and Mining U Kyaw Lwin; and Municipal Affairs U Min Aung have also been charged in the graft case.