The Rakhine government has instructed Ann Township Deputy General Administrator to file a lawsuit against another social activist under Section 66 (d) of the Telecommunications Law.
The police chief of Ann Myoma Police Station told Narinjara News on Sunday that Ann Township Deputy General Administrator filed charges against Ko Myo Lwin, a local Ann resident, on October 1 for posting a fabricated report on dead clams. The deputy general administrator was instructed by the Rakhine State government to file the charges.
“We are trying to summon Ko Myo Lwin to investigate him. He said he is out of town so he cannot come to the police station now. We will start the investigation after he arrives,” said the police chief.
When Narinjara News contacted Ko Myo Lwin from the Rakhine National Resources and Environmental Network – Ann (ANREN – Ann), he said the police chief of Ann Myoma Police Station called him on October 6 (Saturday) and asked him to come to the police station. Although he was informed about the lawsuit, he was not told why he has been charged and he would only find out when he arrives at the police station.
“I haven’t been officially informed about what charges have been filed against me. I heard that it’s concerned with the dead clams. I was reporting to the Rakhine State government with a constructive view on the environmental damages and loss of natural resources. I submitted to them. In my post, I’ve written about the need to do an inspection,” he said.
Section 390 (b) of the 2008 Constitution states that every citizen has the duty to assist the Union in carrying out environmental conservation and it will go against the 2008 Constitution if he is to be charged for the clam issue, Ko Myo Lwin explained.
He continued that this act can be considered as a great threat towards environmental activists in the future.
According to Ko Myo Lwin, millions of dead clams were found in Ta-O Creek, a tributary of Laung Stream that flows into Kyaukpyu and Ann townships in the Rakhine State and the dead clams were spread an acre wide along the creek bank.
Although local residents believe water pollution in the Thanzit River in Kyaukpyu Township and also in Ann and Myebon townships is has caused the massive deaths of the clams, the government stated that they were killed by the entry of freshwater due to heavy rain.
Skin disease has been contracted by clam collectors.
Before Ko Myo Lwin was charged, the Rakhine State government has charged two men with Section 66 (d) and Section 68 (a) of the Telecommunications Law. They are State Hluttaw MP U Than Maung Oo and U Zeyar Kyaw from the ANREN in Toungup Township.
