Two National League for Democracy (NLD) members of the national parliament (MPs) and an NLD party executive who were on the run were arrested along with family members, on 8 January.

They were arrested at a house in Shartaw Village in Magway Region’s Pwintphyu Township at 4:00 a.m.

The arrested national MPs were both NLD members of the Pyithu Hluttaw, the House of Representatives national lower house. They were U Tun Tun, the MP for Pwintphyu Township and U Win Win, the MP for Minbu Townshipn in Magway Region. U Win Win’s wife and three children were also arrested along with him.

The arrested local MP was U Than Thin, an NLD member of the Chauk Township Regional Hluttaw (parliament).

The other arrested NLD member was U Phoe Kyaw, the NLD executive for Chauk Township.

The owner of the house where they were all found was also arrested.

A local villager said: “Young people from the village were beaten and taken away by junta soldiers. I think around 70 phones were also taken. The owner of the house where they were staying was also arrested.”

Another local said: “I'm not sure how the Junta's soldiers discovered that the MPs were hiding in the village, the Military Council was desperate to catch them. Village youths were also tortured and arrested. They [the junta soldiers] insulted and tortured them.”

Mizzima is still looking into where the arrested MPs and their family members were taken after the incident.

Since the February 2021 coup the junta has been arresting and imprisoning NLD MPs and members for allegedly engaging in terrorist activities and supporting people’s defence forces (PDFs).

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), as of 7 January, 13,272 people had been arrested by the junta.