COVID - 19 News Letter for September The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) has documented cases in relation to the COVID-19 Pandemic. According to the documentation of AAPP in September, a total of (1902) people have been charged and convicted in Burma during the pandemic. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) has been monitoring and documenting cases related to COVID-19 Pandemic since April and releasing a monthly COVID Newsletter. According to our documentation in September, a total of (1902) people have been charged and convicted in Burma during the pandemic. As of 16 August, COVID-19 infected cases have reappeared in Rakhine State; the outbreaks have also been reported in Yangon and other states and regions. The second wave of COVID hit Yangon most, and townships in Yangon Region are now ordered to stay at home due to the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths increase highly. Up to September 30, a total of 13,373 people had been infected and 310 had died. The detailed information is shown below: (309) persons have been charged under Section 25, 26, 29 and 30 (a) of the Natural Disaster Management Law while (1) person is serving sentence in prison under Section 26 and 29. In addition to this, (1006) have been charged and (104) were punished under Section 188 of the Penal 1 Code for failing to abide-by the night curfew. And, total of (350) people have been charged under Section 15 of the Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases Law for not wearing masks whereas (120) were penalized. Moreover, (4) have been charged under Section 332/294/114 of the Penal Code and (1) has been charged under Section 409 of the Penal Code; (7) have been charged under Section 6 (1) of the Public Property Protection Act. The quarantined and quarantines centers of each state and region of Myanmar The number of quarantined people and quarantine centers in each state and region of Myanmar as monitored and documented by AAPP is shown in the table below: No Region / State Number of quarantine Number of the quarantined centers 1 Yangon Region 92 5188 2 Magwe Region 632 4589 3 Bago Region 1100 8886 4 Karen State 387 2093 5 Mon State 111 2845 6 Kachin State 248 2382 7 Mandalay Region 479 2821 8 Sagaing Region 641 4318 9 Rakhine State 295 1614 10 Southern Shan State 133 1114 11 Northern Shan State 338 699 2 12 Eastern Shan State 16 115 13 Tanintharyi Region 153 975 14 Irrawaddy Region 1143 6289 15 Chin State 25 324 16 Kayah State 12 389 17 Naypyitaw Council 13 793 Total 5818 45434 http://mohs.gov.mm/su/mxde5404MX Kayah State Absconder from Quarantine Center in Loikaw, Kayah State Charged On 22nd September, a man who fled from the quarantine center of Loikaw, Kayah State, was arrested and had a case opened at Loikaw Myoma Police Station under Section 26/29 of the Natural Disaster Management Law, according to the office of Kayah state government. The aforementioned man had returned to his native Htee Palaw Htu, Nwar La Woe Village Tract, Loikaw Township while he had been kept under watch in the quarantine center of the community based facility in Loikaw University on 21st September. On the first night he fled from the center after having assailed responsible persons and policemen of the center with fierce blows. ( 22 September 2020 - Voice of Myanmar/Burmese) (29 September 2020 - DVB/Burmese) (30 September 2020 - Mizzima/Burmese) 120 Fined 1000 Kyat Each for Not Wearing Masks in Dimowso, Kayah State On 30th September, 120 persons were each fined 1000 kyat each for not wearing masking on their faces and distributed two pieces of mask to them gratis to wear at once in Dimowso township of Kayah State. In implementing a program for COVID-19 prevention and control, authorities found 120 people not wearing masks and arrested and fined them 1000 kyat each in front of Basic Education High School, on 30 September morning, Dimowso. It was also reported governmental staff distributed pamphlets of COVID- 19 awareness among travellers on the road ( 30 September 2020 - Social Media of Sithu Maung) 3 Rakhine State Seven Yangon Returnees Face Legal Charge in Thandwe Seven returnees from Yangon were found guilty of violating official orders and directives of the Ministry of Health and Sport so legal action was taken at Thandwe police station under Section 29/30(a) of the Natural Disaster Management Law. A driver and his assistant drove five young men to Thandwe in an ambulance bearing emblems of the Zaya Maggin Association on it to be stopped and examined by police officers and immigration authorities at the Thandwe entrance check-point. According to Ye Min Soe, a police Lieutenant, the seven were sent to Ngapali quarantine center to be kept under watch. U Zaw Zaw Htun, the ward administrator of Gyate Taw, Ngapali, said that a plot for returning the seven to Thandwe and quarantining them has already been scheduled. ( 24 September 2020 – Myanmar Now/Burmese) (25 September 2020 - DMG/Burmese) Two Times Absconder From hospital Recaptured, Butheedaung, Rakhine State A COVID-19 patient, who fled from Buthedaung Township hospital on 17 September, was recaptured on 21t September legal action is being prepared under the Natural Disaster Management Law, according to U Hla Shwe Aung, the administrator of the township. The patient made his first attempt to flee on 16th September but he was captured on his way. ( 21 September 2020 - DMG/Burmese) COVID Patient Absconder Found and Confined in Custody According to Maungdaw district administrator U Soe Aung, a COVID patient, who fled from the township hospital was recaptured and confined in the custody of the hospital guard-ward. The patient fled on 3rd September and was recaptured on 4th September 3 miles away from the town. According to U Soe Aung the man suffers from mental illness. ( 2 September 2020 - DMG/Burmese) Three Imprisoned for One Month for Denying curfew, Kyaukphyu, Rakhine Judge of Kyaukphyu Township, Rakhine State, sentenced three people who failed to follow the curfew to one month’s imprisonment each under Section 188 of penal code on 3rd September. The three people were arrested when one team led by township administrator and another by the superintendent patrolled around Kyaukphyu Township municipal area, according to the administrator of Kyaukphyu Township. The administrator himself acted as plaintiff of the case and applied directly to township court for prosecution. A number of coronavirus infected people have increased since August, a 9 pm to 4 am curfew has to be imposed as of 2nd September in Rakhine State. (5 September 2020 - DVB/Burmese) Five Youths Imprisoned for not Following Curfew in Taunggok, Rakhine State The Taunggok Township court judge sentenced five youths to one month imprisonment on 4th September, in accordance with Section 188 of the Penal Code for not abiding by the curfew. On the early morning of 24 September, a police troop found six drunken youths on a street and arrested them, according to superintendent of Taunggok Township police department. The five of the six youth were prosecuted by the administrator of Taunggok as the plaintiff of the case for not following the curfew while the remaining one was released on bail. 4 ( 25 September 2020 - DMG/Burmese) Five Suspects Arrested in Minbya Township According to Tatmadaw True News Information Team Five people of Minbya township, U Tin Thein, U Han Thein, Mg Naing Oo, Mg Than Wai, Mg Nyi Nyi Htun were arrested on 11th September 1:00 a.m for not following the night curfew. They were charged under Section 188 of a regional order at Minbya Township police station. According to the Tatmadaw True News Information Team’s report, five suspects were arrested on September 15. ( 12 September 2020 - Narinjara/Burmese) Shan State Bar-owner and Customers Sentenced in Muse On 3rd September, six customers and a bar-owner were sentenced to a month’s imprisonment without labour by the judge of Muse Township court in accordance with Section 188 of the Penal Code for breaking the curfew. Moreover, 27 people who went against local official directives would have legal action taken against them. Muse in northern Shan State is a border-trade town between China and Myanmar and is a busy center of merchants, dealers, truck drivers and travelers. ( 4 September 2020 - Eleven Media/Burmese) Over a Hundred People Lectured on the Risk of Not Wearing Masks and Fined in Taunggyi, Shan State In Taunggyi, Shan State, over a hundred people were found not wearing masks, lectured about the risk of COVID-19 and fined. Checks on face masks have commenced since 15th September and 135 people were lectured and 156 fined. On 21st September, authorities decided that a third time to lecture would lead to fines for those people who had been caught not wearing masks, according to Ko Win Naing one of the volunteer groups. ( 21 September 2020 - Shan News/Burmese) Chin State 41 Had Legal Action Taken Against Them for Failing to Follow Curfew in Paletwa, Chin In the 2nd week of September, 41 persons were charged for breaking the Natural Disaster Law and the order of curfew in Paletwa Township according to U Aung Lawha, the township administrator. The 41 persons were arrested while they were travelling from Paletwa, Chin State to Kyauktaw of Rakhine State along a pathway through forest by troops from Infantry Battalion 289 of the Tatmadaw True News Information on 9th September. After being searched, they were handed over to the administration department of Paletwa Township. They had been kept in Myoma Post-Primary School and their freedom of movement has been limited, according to U Kyaw Khin, a resident of Paletwa.