The junta has seized the home of writer Ko Wai Hin Aung, a philanthropist and political activist, in Sittwe, the capital of Arakan (Rakhine) State.
At around 6:00 p.m. on June 8, junta soldiers and police arrived at the house in Baukthisu Ward, put up a seizure notice, and sealed the premises, Ko Wai Hin Aung told DMG.
He is a dedicated philanthropist who supports war-displaced people in Arakan State and is currently sheltering in an Arakan Army (AA)-controlled area.
Sittwe is the only major settlement in northern Arakan State that remains under junta control. The regime has carried out various forms of repression in the city, including arbitrary arrests of residents.
Ko Wai Hin Aung is also a former political prisoner. In January 2018, he was arrested alongside Dr Aye Maung over a speech he gave at a literary event marking the 233rd anniversary of the fall of the Arakan Kingdom in Rathedaung Township, Arakan State. He was sentenced in March 2019 to 20 years in prison on charges of sedition and incitement to undermine state stability.
On February 12, 2021, he was released under an amnesty granted by the coup leader to mark Union Day.
Ko Wai Hin Aung has relocated to AA-controlled territory, where he is dedicated to helping displaced people and others in need.
