Loans may become legal liability for civil servants turned CDM participants

By DMG 23 Nov 2021

DMG Newsroom
23 November 2021,  Sittwe 

Myanmar’s military regime is reportedly looking to take legal action against civil servants involved in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) by targeting them for “misuse of funds” if they received a Covid-19 loan, which the previous government provided to alleviate the impacts of the pandemic. 

The ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) government had provided the interest-free loans, equivalent to two months’ salary, when it held power last year. 

A nurse from Mawlamyine General Hospital, who is participating in the CDM, said many of her colleagues took the loan. 

“Almost all healthcare personnel received the loan. I did not take the loan,” she said, adding that at the moment, she had not heard of any threat to take action against CDM participants who took the loans. 

But a teacher from Bago Region’s Daik-U Township, who is also a CDM participant, said he faced an ultimatum via the township Education Department. 

“The township office sent a letter saying I am breaching the law as I am joining the CDM. And, that I will face legal action if I do not repay the loan,” he said. 

The regime has also threatened to prosecute CDM-affiliated civil servants, and has filed charges in many cases, under various other criminal statutes including Section 505(a) of the Penal Code and the Counter-Terrorism Law.