by Hafizur Rahman
Naypyidaw, September 13, 2025 – Myanmar’s Acting President and Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has issued a full pardon to Dr. Aye Maung, a prominent Rakhine politician, according to Order 7/2025 released on Wednesday.
Background of the Conviction
Dr. Aye Maung was arrested in 2018 after delivering a speech in Rakhine State that authorities labeled seditious. The Sittwe District Court later convicted him under Penal Code Article 505(b) in criminal case 1/2018 and under Article 122(1) in criminal case 3/2018. He was sentenced to long imprisonment, which drew controversy within Rakhine’s political circles at the time.
Constitutional Provision
The amnesty was granted under Subsection (b) of Section 204 of the Myanmar Constitution, following endorsement from the National Defence and Security Council. According to the pardon order, Dr. Aye Maung pledged to safeguard what the junta terms the country’s “three main objectives”: non-disintegration of the Union, non-disintegration of national solidarity, and perpetuation of sovereignty.
He also promised to work toward what the military leadership describes as a “genuine, disciplined, democratic, and federal system.”
Political Significance
Dr. Aye Maung, a former parliamentarian and ex-chairman of the Arakan National Party (ANP), remains an influential figure in Rakhine politics with considerable grassroots support. His release is expected to draw significant attention in Rakhine State, where local political dynamics are already shaped by both the Myanmar junta and the Arakan Army’s growing authority.
Implications
Observers note that the pardon may be aimed at consolidating the junta’s relations with influential Rakhine leaders at a time when the conflict in western Myanmar continues to escalate.
With the order, Dr. Aye Maung’s conviction and sentence have been formally commuted, granting him full freedom and reopening his potential role in Rakhine’s political future.
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