The deputy administrator of Pale Township in Yinmabin District, Sagaing Region, has filed a lawsuit against three parliamentary candidates from the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) under Section 505 (b) of the penal code for the defamation of the State. 

The lawsuit was launched at Pale Township Court on December 8 and the defendants are upper house candidate Saw Maung and regional parliamentary candidates Tin Swe and Nyo Yaung. 

The three are charged with sedition for their election campaign talks in Indinetha Village, Jet Village-tract, Pale Township, on October 26. 

In their election campaign rally, the USDP candidates said: “Was there a State Counsellor under the U Thein Sein government? For this nominal post, 93 foreigners had to be hired as advisers. They are paid Ks5 million or 6 million monthly. The amount is Ks500 million. Our whole township does not even get Ks100 million. If we did not hire them, can’t we spend this money on socio-economy development of our people?”  

“If we were elected, we would serve the best interest of the State without hiring any counsellor. We will not let you down. The socio-economy of the grassroots in our country will develop. As our citizens are Myanmar, our country must be ruled by the people of Myanmar. We don’t need to foreign counsellors. Under President U Thein Sein in 2010, the road to democracy was built without hiring any counsellor,” they added. 

Deputy Administrator of Pale Township General Administration Department Aung Aung as plaintiff opened a case against the three USDP candidates at Pale Myoma Police Station. Then the Pale Township Court filed the lawsuit against them under Section 505 (b) of the penal code.