A Yangon man accused of taking a second wife less than 2 months after marrying his first is facing charges under the Monogamy Law.
Kay Thwe Soe, a final-year student at Western University, filed charges against her husband Thawda Phyo Wai Lwin after he allegedly left her and started living with another woman at his parents’ home in Sagaing Region.
The pair were married on December 16 last year but on December 29 Thawda Phyo Wai Lwin left, saying he was going to work as a driver, the Global New Light of Myanmar reported.
But on 1 February he eloped with a waitress, Sandar Aung, according to Yangon Regional Police.
His first wife learned the news from a relative and filed charges at Taikkyi Township station under Section 13 of the Monogamy Law, which criminalizes both polygamy and extramarital affairs
Since the controversial legislation was introduced in 2015, there have been 46 violations with 26 in January alone, according to the state-backed New Light.
The overwhelming majority of cases have involved Buddhist men, though the original backers of the law – Buddhist nationalists – intended to target Muslims.
