Russian woman sentenced to 6 months jail, hard labour


Russian woman sentenced to 6 months jail, hard labour

A Russian woman, who was sentenced to one month in prison for entering a pagoda platform wearing footwear, was sentenced to another 6 months imprisonment for violating visa rules on August 25 according to Nyaung-U township immigration and national registration department staff officer U Thein Han.

“The Nyaung-U township court set that verdict on August 25. That sentence can be said to be the minimum punishment. If one violates the immigration stipulations, the punishment can range from a minimum 6 months to a maximum 5 years,” U Thein Han said.


The woman entered the Ananda pagoda, the Thatbyinnyu pagoda and Sin Mya Shin pagoda without removing her footwear, and the Ananda pagoda filed a lawsuit against her at the Nyaung-U township court for defaming the Sasana. 

The court set a verdict that she had to pay a fine of K500,000 or she would be sentenced to one month imprisonment. The woman chose to be sent to jail.


Later, the township Immigration and National Registration Department officer made another complaint against her under Section 13(1) of Immigration Act for violating the Myanmar customs and tradition to be followed by foreigners entering into Myanmar and the court ruled that she be sentenced to six months imprisonment with hard labour.

“When she entered the pagoda wearing footwear, all the people including the pagoda trustees told her not to do it. But she didn’t accept it. She asked for a copy of the law which forbids the footwear inside the pagodas. 

“She should have known that putting on footwear on the pagoda platform does not comply with Myanmar’s customs. But we are sorry that she was put in jail,” a woman who sells handicraft near the Ananda pagoda said.


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