"A gold magnate who was arrested after fleeing to Thailand amid accusation of illegal mining is appealing to have the charge dropped. Soe Htun Shein, chairman of the National Prosperity Gold Production Group (NPGPG), began the appeals process along with four of his company executives at a Mandalay court on Monday. His trial for mining without a licence began in the Yamethin township court on April 27 and he filed an appeal on May 5 to the district court to have the charges dropped. Soe Htun Shein is known for his outspoken support of Buddhist nationalist causes and the anti-Muslim monks behind them. In 2015 he donated just over 1.6 kilograms of gold, worth about $70,000, to Ma Ba Tha, the now disbanded hardline Buddhist nationalist group. The government suspended NPGPG’s mining permit in November 2017 after the company refused to hand over 1,293 viss of gold it was contractually obligated to pay the state for a 6,100-acre mining site in Mandalay region. The company ignored the suspension and continued mining and producing gold. The following March, an official from the environment and natural resource ministry filed charges against five of the company’s executives, including Soe Htun Shein. He faces charges in two additional cases as well. In a civil suit at the Mandalay Region High Court he is facing charges for the company’s refusal to hand over the initial 1,293 viss of gold..."