U Thar Kyaw, a state parliament member from Minbya Township said: “We can confirm that three people were arrested today. They are: U Win Maung, a village headman from La-Har-Kyel village; U Shwe Lone, a teacher from Nga-Saryne-Chaung Island; and a man who worked at the Academy CD Rental Shop in Minbya Town.”

The man who worked at the Academy CD Rental Shop has been identified as Ko Myo Win Zaw, he was arrested at 10pm on 28 April.

U Thar Kyaw said: “Though I am a parliament member it is difficult for me to say in detail [what has happened] because the township authorities have not revealed anything. When I asked the township administrator and police head [about the arrests] they said they cannot do anything because the arrests were made by the army. We heard that they were taken to Military Operations Command (MOC) base number 9 in Kyauktaw.”

When Narinjara News contacted one of U Wing Maung’s relatives from La-Har-Kyel village, he said: “When he [U Wing Maung] went to Minbya Town he was arrested on the way [to Minbya], no one knows exactly where he is now. That is why his wife and sister, who have been left at home worrying about him, are trying to get news [about him].”

The army can arrest anyone they want when they want to, including the village headman, that is why villagers are worried, the relative said.

When Narinjara contacted Minbya Police Station a duty officer said: “When the army arrested them we were not informed of anything, so we do not know where they were arrested.”

Social activists from Kyauktaw Township said that including these three arrests at least 20 people have been arrested in Minbya and Kyauktaw townships.

 Translated by Aung Myat Soe English version written by Mark Inkey for BNI