Destruction of General Aung San Statues by Terrorist Military is a Serious Criminal Offense, All Perpetrators Can Be Legally Prosecuted in the Future, Warns Myanmar Lawyers Council

Yangon, July 3 Destroying, removing, and clearing memorial statues and likenesses of General Aung San, the father of the nation's independence and a great national leader, are serious criminal offenses, and all those involved in these acts can be legally prosecuted in the future, said U Myint Thein Aung, General Secretary of the Myanmar Lawyers Council, to Yangon Khit Thit Media. The Myanmar Lawyers Council issued a statement today, stating that employees under the control of the coup military council have been continuously destroying, clearing, and removing memorial statues and likenesses of General Aung San across the country during nighttime hours, and that these acts are unethical and base actions. These actions are intentional destruction of the nation's national symbols and are in violation of the "Mischief" offense stipulated in Section 425 of the Penal Code, and can also be prosecuted under the Public Property Protection Law. Those who destroy public property may face imprisonment of up to 7 years, it was warned. U Myint Thein Aung, General Secretary of the Myanmar Lawyers Council, warned, "Whatever one says, destroying the image of a national leader who is a true icon of the country, and a national symbol, in this manner is definitely an act that harms the interests of the general public. It is in the interest of the ethnic people and also in the interest of the nation. This is the nation's image. We want to make it known that committing such an act is a criminal offense." He further stated that regardless of who ordered the act, all those involved in committing the crime will be held legally accountable in the future. "Whether Min Aung Hlaing ordered it or who ordered it, I can say with certainty that all those involved in committing this crime will be criminals related to this offense when action is taken as needed in the future," he said. The Lawyers Council's statement stated that General Aung San's memorial statues and likenesses are national symbols, and preserving and passing them on to future generations is an important responsibility of a culturally advanced society. Furthermore, it was legally analyzed that the intentional destruction, removal, and clearing of these memorial objects, which are public property, constitute the crime of mischief, and since the coup military council does not prevent these acts in its controlled areas and does not prosecute the perpetrators, these crimes must be considered to have been committed by the coup military council itself. It was also informed that under Section 425 of the Penal Code, anyone who destroys any property, diminishes the value or utility of any property, or alters its condition to cause damage with the intention of causing wrongful loss to the public or any person commits the offense of "Mischief." According to a military news source in Naypyidaw for Yangon Khit Thit, at the meeting of State and Region Chief Ministers held in Naypyidaw on June 25 and 26, military leader Min Aung Hlaing instructed the complete removal and demolition of all General Aung San bronze statues and political memorials built during the NLD government era. It was also reported that he instructed the military security department and the police intelligence force to report the progress of implementation by township on a daily basis. Furthermore, it has been learned from sources that emergency lists of the locations, construction dates, and detailed information of General Aung San bronze statues built during the NLD government era are being compiled in townships across the country, and plans are underway to continue removing all these statues.