The military council has arrested and opened a case against a 24-year-old man from Mawlamyine of Mon State, who shared the texts criticizing the military council, local residents said.
At around 3 pm on 18 March, a combined team of military council soldiers, police members and ward administrative body conducting checks on passersby at the junction of Ayardaw road and Taungpawtan in Maungngan ward in Mawlamyine. They checked the young man on a motorbike and arrested him.
The military conucil soldiers checked Maung Tun Lin’s motorbike and mobile phone. They arrested him as his Htun Lin Fcaebook account shared the posts about the military service law and the People’s Defense Forces (PDFs). Then, his mobile phone and motorbike were seized, local resident said.
Later, the military council filed a case against him under Section 505 (a) of the Penal Code for sharing the posts and news which can undermine the admininstrative mechanism, defame the State and cause public unrests.
In the past, the military council soldiers only conducted checks on motorbikes in Mawmalmyine. But now, they also check mobile phones, especially Facebook, locals from Mawlamyine said.
A local from Mawlamyine said: “If you go out and don’t want to encounter the inspection team, avoid it. I would like to suggest that the photos and posts should be deleted with caution if you get checked inevitably. They (police) have regarded it as a money-spinner when they found it.”
On 20 February, the military council filed a case against the Facebook account owner named Thiri Yadanar Mg (Kit Kit) from Shwenattaung ward in Mawlamyine under Section 505 (a) of Penal Code for allegedly uploading the posts supporting the terrorist group on social media.
In Mon State, the military council is making continued arrests of those who criticize the military council and those who share the posts and comments supporting National Unity Government (NUG), PDFs and revolutionary forces on social media, local residents said.
Such arrests have increased since the end of 2023, and there may be hundreds of arrests, according to observers.
According to a report by Data For Myanmar, an independent research organization, from February 2022 to the end of September 2023, 61 people were arrested in Mon State for criticizing the military council and supporting public movements and Spring Revolution organizations.
Sent by IMNA.