PATHEIN, Irrawaddy Division —A local court in Irrawaddy Division’s capital Pathein handed down jail sentences on Wednesday to four inmates for rioting in Pathein Prison last November.
The divisional correctional department filed a complaint with the township police station after the four broke out of their jail cell, attacked a prison officer and attempted to grab a set of keys on Nov. 26, 2016.
After a month-long court hearing, Pathein Township Court extended the sentence of group leader Ko Than Oo—aka Maung Oo or Thae Maung—by 18 months and the three others by one year.
The correctional department filed charges of causing a riot, holding lethal weapons in a riot, harming civil servants who suppress a riot, and disturbing civil servants in performing their duties.
“We sued them under four charges, but the court dismissed three charges” director of Irrawaddy divisional correctional department U Min Soe told The Irrawaddy. “It handed down jail sentences to them for the charge of disturbing civil servants in performing their duties.”
Previously, the inmates had been transferred to Pathein from Rangoon’s Insein Prison and Mon State’s Mawlamyine Prison. All four were serving long-term sentences—Ko Than Oo was serving 40 years for murder and three others above 10 years—according to the correctional department.
Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko
