A French tourist was sentenced to a month of hard labor in prison for attempting to fly with drone near Myanmar’s parliament.
Arthur Desclaux, 27, was arrested in the capital on February 7 accused under an import and export law that prohibits the use of “banned goods” brought in from abroad without a license.
Myanmar has strong restrictions on drones used in the country, especially in religious and governmental sites.
The Frenchman admitted ignoring these laws, Judge Sulab Yadanar Oo told the court after the hearing.
“We gave him a light sentence – a month in prison with forced labor, when he confessed with sincerity that he was guilty,” the judge said.
But this is not the first time foreigners flying with drones have been arrested in Myanmar. In 2017, journalists from Malaysia, who were filming a documentary for a Turkish state broadcaster, were also arrested for flying with a drone next to parliament.
At the time, they believed they would only pay a fine but that was not what happened. They were sentenced to two months in prison.
Thus, being aware of local laws and requesting the appropriate permits are basic measures that can prevent the seizure of equipment and / or “forced vacation” in prison.
