Arakan State Chief Minister and cabinet members released, Speaker still detained

By DMG 02 Feb 2021

DMG Newsroom
2 February 2021, Sittwe 

Detained by the military as its coup has unfolded in recent hours, the formers Chief Minister of Arakan State U Nyi Pu, state Minister for Social Affairs Dr. Chan Tha, and state Minister for Electricity, Industry and Road Transport U Aung Kyaw Zan were released as the day played out on February 2. 

However, Arakan State Parliament Speaker U San Kyaw Hla, who was also detained by the Tatmadaw, had not been released as of 6 p.m. on Tuesday. 

The Arakan State ministers, including the chief minister, were freed at around 5 p.m. on Tuesday, said U Min Aung, an Arakan State MP for Taungup Township representing the National League for Democracy (NLD). 

“The chief minister arrived back home in Gwa at around 5:15 p.m. I think the ministers’ phones were blocked and the phone cards were confiscated,” he added. 

U Nyi Pu, Dr. Chan Tha, and U Aung Kyaw Zan were taken by security personnel on the morning of February 1, and were detained at the military’s No. 562 Light Infantry position in Gwa Township until their release. 

U Khaing Pyi Soe, general secretary of the Arakan National Party (ANP), said U San Kyaw Hla had not been released as of 6 p.m. on Tuesday. 

“The Speaker of the Arakan State parliament has not been released yet. No contact with him [the Speaker] has been made yet,” U Khaing Pyi Soe said. 

U San Kyaw Hla and Lower House lawmaker Daw Khin Saw Wai were both detained by the military’s No. 20 Battalion in Sittwe on February 1, and Daw Khin Saw Wai was released the same day.