Nay Myo Wai, a fervent Buddhist nationalist who once threatened to beat up Muslims and feed them pork curry, is in a little trouble.
Local media reports say police are preparing to arrest him and charge him with online defamation after he wrote on Facebook that the head of the army, Min Aung Hlaing, didn’t dare to seize power [from the newly elected NLD government] because he wants to be Aung San Suu Kyi’s husband.
The post, which is a few weeks old and seems to have been taken down, featured a photo of the senior general.
Nay Myo Wai denied the allegations on Facebook today and said Muslims are creating fake accounts to mess with him.
Nay Myo Wai rose to prominence last year as the incendiary chairman of a little known political entity called the Peace and Diversity Party, whose anti-Muslim platform just made the chosen name of the party more confusing to everybody.
Since losing in the November election he has receded from the scene somewhat, but was back in action at last week’s protest outside the US Embassy.
If arrested and charged he would be one of the latest in recent months to face trial over Facebook posts deemed defamatory.
He could not immediately be reached for comment.
The comments on social media reacting to this news give some idea of the lack of sympathy that many have for Nay Myo Wai.
“He has no brain. He is insulting for no reasons. Put him in jail.”
Or this, from one user, who was slightly less sympathetic: “Give him death sentence.”
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