A People’s Party candidate for the Pyithu Hluttaw seat in Thingangyun Township has been sentenced to one year in prison with hard labor over language used during his election campaign, according to the party’s legal team.

U Lwin Myint, the People’s Party candidate for Thingangyun Township, was handed the sentence by the Thingangyun Township Court at around 11:30 am. on January 8, said U Wanna Soe, a member of the People’s Party legal affairs committee.

He was convicted under Section 58(Ga) of the Pyithu Hluttaw Election Law for violating election-related rules and regulations.

“The verdict has been delivered. He was sentenced to one year in prison with hard labor under Section 58(Ga) of the Pyithu Hluttaw Election Law for breaching election rules. The ruling was handed down at 11:30 am. by the township court judge,” U Wanna Soe said.

U Lwin Myint was charged on December 18 after a case was opened against him at a township police station for remarks made during election campaigning.

He was taken from his home by Thingangyun Township police on the evening of December 17 and questioned for about four hours at the police station before being released on bail.

According to reports, the case was filed following complaints over his use of the terms “revolution” and “uprising” in campaign speeches posted on the People’s Party’s TikTok account, as well as images he shared on his personal Facebook account.