The military detained five youths from the town of Aye Thayar in Taunggyi District, accusing them of providing financial support to the local People’s Defence Force (PDF) group fighting the regime in this region of southern Shan State.
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“They came at midnight to take the youths away and because it was already late, no one left their homes to watch the arrests,” an anonymous man close to one of the victim’s families told SHAN about the incident, which took place on 6 August.
Soldiers took the three men and two women to the No. 1 police station in Taunggyi town. The source said Yun Wei Hteik was among the five arrested, but did not know the names of the other four people.
According to a male youth from Aye Thayar who requested anonymity, Yun Wei Hteik, who lives in Ward 7, owns a clothing shop in Aye Thiri Market in the town.
“She was an active participant in the protests against the military regime and shared many (online) posts about the resistance movement, but she’s not connected with the PDF. She was arrested because of informants,” he told SHAN.
On the same day, the BA also arrested an employee of Sao San Htun Hospital in Taunggyi for a comment she’d posted on Facebook against the military regime. The woman was released the next day after signing a letter.
Two restaurateurs from Nawngkio Township were arrested after being accused of having links to the PDF on 7 August. A woman who requested anonymity told SHAN that the army was still holding the two, but she didn’t know where.
Another local source, who also asked that his name not be used, said BA tried to arrest civilians suspected of working with the PDF in August, but couldn’t say how many people were taken away by soldiers. Others told SHAN that at least 14 people, including some business owners, had been arrested this month.
The woman said after the BA started trying to arrest business owners in the township some have stopped sleeping in their homes.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, the junta has detained 15,097 people, of whom 3,075 have been released, while 2,189 people have been killed.
