Military reportedly detains Mrauk-U philanthropist

By DMG 06 Oct 2022

DMG Newsroom
6 October 2022, Mrauk-U  

A local philanthropist in Mrauk-U, Arakan State, was reportedly taken from his home by junta soldiers at about 6 a.m. on Thursday, according to sources close to the detainee. 

U Kyaw Nyunt, the 54-year-old man in Mrauk-U’s Letkauk Zay Ward, was detained at his home by regime troops and police, an official from the Yadanarpala social foundation, a local charity, told DMG. 

“He was arrested at his home at around 6 a.m. today. He is the chairman of the charity’s ambulance unit. He was taken by the junta soldiers and police. I don’t know where he was taken,” the official added. 

U Kyaw Nyunt has been the in-charge for the foundation’s ambulance unit for about eight years. Other members of the foundation have expressed concern for their own safety due to the military’s detention of philanthropists, among whom U Kyaw Nyunt has not been the first in recent months. 

“He is a good man and I don’t know why he was arrested. We feel insecure because of the military’s arrests of charity workers and philanthropists,” said another official at the foundation. 

DMG phoned Arakan State Minister for Security and Border Affairs Colonel Kyaw Thura and regime spokesman Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun regarding the military’s detention of the philanthropist in Mrauk-U, but they could not be reached. 

Myanmar’s military regime has recently made several arrests of philanthropists, civil servants and average citizens in Arakan State amid escalating tensions with the Arakan Army (AA). 

Veteran politician U Pe Than criticised the military’s arrest of people doing charity work. 

“The military is making a series of arrests of civilians on suspicion, targeting philanthropists and social organisations. The military is arresting people on suspicion to make them afraid to contact the ULA/AA [United League of Arakan/Arakan Army] at all, give military assistance, and help charities that help displaced people,” he said. 

Last month, the well-known social activist Ko Ann Thar Gyi was travelling to Mrauk-U as part of a trip to provide relief supplies for internally displaced people (IDPs) when junta troops fired shots at his vehicle at a security checkpoint at the entrance to Mrauk-U on September 16. He managed to escape but Myanmar’s military regime subsequently opened an incitement case against Ko Ann Thar Gyi aka U Than Shwe under Section 505(a) of the Penal Code. 

At least 140 people have been arrested on suspicion by the military regime in the three-plus months from June 2022 to September 21, of which more than 60 people have not been released so far, according to a tally by DMG. 

Civilian arrests have been on the rise in Arakan State and neighbouring Paletwa Township, Chin State, amid the renewed conflict between the military and AA.