A Facebook user was sued by a Mon State government official on Saturday after he used his profile to criticize the performance of the state’s chief minister.
Thaton Township resident Aung Ko Ko Lwin had previously posted a video clip showing Chief Minister Dr. Aye Zan advising the residents to “eat only one dish of curry” per meal in order to bring down food prices.
During the same meeting on Jan. 3, the chief minister also told residents to follow the example of Russia and Britain, which rationed food to their populations during WWII.
Dr. Aye Zan said: “Our country is poor. We should only eat a dish of curry. If we don’t go to tea shops and only eat a dish of curry in our homes, won’t the food prices decline?”
The comments were immediately met with public criticism, including from Aung Ko Ko Lwin, whose Facebook posts also accused the chief minister of ignoring the needs of the people of Thaton, including their requests for a new transformer for the town’s central market and LED signals for the railway crossing on the Yangon-Mawlamyine road, which is prone to accidents.
“He didn’t bother to reply. He was not dutiful,” Aung Ko Ko Lwin proclaimed to his followers.
The Facebook user was then sued by Saw Kyaw Moe, a member of Mon State’s ethnic affairs committee, under Section 8(f) of Myanmar’s Law Protecting the Privacy and Security of Citizens, which reads: “No one shall unlawfully interfere with a citizen’s personal or family matters or act in any way to slander or harm their reputation.”
The law was enacted in March 2017 and is punishable by up to three years in prison and a maximum fine of K1,500,000 (US$1,100).
Saw Kyaw Moe has said that he filed the lawsuit in his capacity as a community elder, not on behalf of the Mon State government.
“They can talk freely on Facebook. We have always engaged in democratic causes. But his post is the negative use of freedom of expression. And other youths from our town have followed his footsteps and written similar posts,” Saw Kyaw Moe told The Irrawaddy.
“His negative criticism spoils the image of the town,” he added.
In other Facebook posts, Aung Ko Ko Lwin criticized the chief minister for enjoying large meals while Thaton’s market suffers from a shortage of electric power.
“You may be able to walk with your head held high during this term in Thaton, but if you go against the wishes of people, how can you greet them after this term expires?” he wrote.
Aung Ko Ko Lwin told The Irrawaddy that he is not sure which post he is being sued for.
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