Principal's son sentenced to 25 years in prison for raping, extorting student

Burma News International (BNI) is a network of 15 independent media and news organizations based in and around Burma A district court in Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State, has sentenced a 29-year-old man to 25 years in prison for raping a 12th-grade student and subsequently extorting her using images of the assault. The convict, Zar Ni Thway, is the son of the principal of Aung Myay Thit High School. He was found guilty on three charges and sentenced on June 29, according to sources within the local legal community. The court handed down 20 years for rape, 2 years for sexual assault, and 3 years for criminal intimidation and extortion. The sentences are to be served consecutively with hard labor. “The defense presented multiple arguments, but the evidence was clear and compelling. The 25-year sentence is already the minimum penalty his lawyer could secure given the charges,” said a source close to the district court. According to court records, the assault took place at around 12:30 p.m. on January 15 inside the high school where the perpetrator worked. He then photographed the victim in a compromising position and threatened to release the images unless she paid him 2 million kyats. Despite the lengthy sentence, concerns have been raised regarding its enforcement. A teacher related to the victim expressed doubts, noting that the perpetrator’s family maintains connections with junta authorities and certain judicial officials. "I am not confident he will actually serve the full sentence. If he is sent to Taung Lay Lone Prison in Nyaungshwe Township, southern Shan State, conditions could be made relatively easy for him. We have heard that some inmates make arrangements with prison officials and are even allowed to leave the premises for short periods. He could also stand a higher chance of being included in a mass amnesty. There have even been cases where someone else served a sentence in place of the actual convict. Sometimes, perpetrators’ families stop fighting the case, accept the conviction, and then work behind the scenes to secure an amnesty," she said. Following the incident, Zar Ni Thway fled, triggering a police manhunt. He was arrested on January 18 near the Taunggyi Hotel in Thittaw Ward, where he resided. The court issued its final ruling approximately five months after the offense occurred.