After spending more than a year in prison, two assistant pastors arrested by the Myanmar army were released on 17 April under a government amnesty programme.
Dom Dawng Nawng Latt, 65, and La Jaw Gam Hseng, 35, were among more than 8,500 prisoners granted amnesty by newly elected President U Win Myint. Some 37 jailed political activists were also freed under the amnesty, but most of those freed were in prison on drug-related and other crimes.
In October 2017, the two pastors were sentenced under Burma’s Unlawful Association Act, for alleged connections with an ethnic armed group, the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), and for allegedly spying for it, according to sources in court in Lashio town, Shan state.
Speaking to the media
Area sources, however, said they were likely arrested and charged for speaking to media and helping local journalists cover the bombing of a Catholic church building, a house and schools in Shan state in November 2016. The army arrested them in 2016 when they went to Byuha Gone military base to negotiate the release of a civilian couple who had complained to army officials about the destruction of their house.
