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AYEYARWADDY DIVISION – Among the prisoners who were released from Pathein Prison on January 4, there were three prisoners of conscience: two men and Dr. Hla Myat Thway, a member of the National League for Democracy and the Social Welfare Minister of Ayeyarwaddy Division regional government, as said by the Prison department.
“A woman and two men who were prosecuted under political section 505(B) were released. The woman is a person who had entered the prison, showing three fingers salute sign, the Social Welfare Minister Dr. Hla Myat Thway and the two men are politicians from Pathein, as said by a Pathein Prison staff.
Dr. Hla Myat Thway was released as her sentence is due. She is currently required to stay in her native town of Ngathaingchaung, as said by a source close to the junta council.
Dr. Hla Myat Thway, the Social Welfare Minister of Ayeyarwaddy Division regional government under the NLD party ruling period had been kept under house arrest in the ministers housing in Pathein since the junta’s coup for two years. Last January 30, she was sentenced to two years imprisonment under section 505(B).
“She was too thin but seemed to be in good health. Since her release, she went back to her native town,” as said by a close friend of Dr. Hla Myat Thway.
Dr. Hla Myat Thway was the only female NLD party member who had been elected as the regional representative of Yegyi Township from 2012 interim election to 2020 general election.
She maintained her position in 2015 election and became the Minister of Social Welfare for the Ayeyarwaddy Division regional government. In 2020 general election, she won again as the Yegyi Township parliament member for regional parliament.
Since the coup of the junta council, the president of the regional parliament and the whole regional government members had been kept under house arrest for two years and some were released after signing the guarantee.
However, Dr. Hla Myat Thway refused to sign the guarantee and she released an announcement for the staffs from her ministry, against the junta council. As a result, she was sentenced to two years imprisonment by Pathein Prison Court.