A village administrative body member in Monywa Township, Sagaing Region, has been sentenced to one month in prison for barring a team of National League for Democracy led by Union Minister for Transport and Communications Than Sin Maung from entering Gyogyacan Village.

The NLD team tried to enter the village on October 27 as part of the party’s election campaign but they were stopped and prevented from entering the village by the administrative member on grounds of Covid-19 prevention. 

Monywa Township Court gave the verdict to imprison him for one month on November 16.

“The court gave him a one-month prison sentence today,” said Arkar Myint, deputy administrator of Monywa Township.

 The Sagaing Region government issued an instruction dated April 22 saying that all the wards and villages in the region are not to place blockages or bar entries and exits of their own accord.  

All ward and village administrators are to only follow the instructions issued by the Ministry of Health and Sports and the respective townships regarding the Covid-19 outbreak, the instruction says.