Dr. Hla Myat Thwe, former Ayayarwady Region’s minister of social welfare under the NLD government, has been placed in solitary confinement in Pathein prison, according to sources familiar with the prison department.
The sources confirmed that the former social welfare minister has been in solitary confinement for more than ten days.
“Dr. Hla Myat Thwe was transferred to Pathein prison on December 28th and has been held in solitary confinement since her arrival. Visitors are not even permitted to send her drinking water. According to a recently released political prisoner, she has been charged under Section 505(b),” said a political prisoner who was released from Pathein prison.
Although the military council released regional government officials, the speaker and deputy speaker of the regional parliament, and the prime minister from various locations on December 28, Dr. Hla Myat Thwe was not released and was instead taken to Pathein prison.
Sources close to the prison department said that prison authorities let Dr. Hla Myat Thwe walk only once a day for an hour under the supervision of a female prison employee on the orders of the military council.
The military council tried to compromise with her, but she did not accept it at all, said some of the political prisoners who were released under an amnesty.
In addition, Dr. Hla Myat Thwe issued a statement on Feb. 10, 2021, that all government employees would remain on holiday until the formation of the people’s government.
“I don’t think the military council will try social welfare minister Dr. Hla Myat Thwe in a special court outside prison. Her trial will probably be held in a prison cell or another room of the prison via a video link,’ said an official of the NLD party.
Dr. Hla Myat Thwe was the only NLD member elected as a member of the Yegyi Township regional parliament in the 2012 by-election.
She was then re-elected as a member of the regional parliament from Yegyi Township in the 2020 elections.
Since the military coup on February 1, 2021, she has been under house arrest with other members of the Ayeyarwady regional government in the ministerial settlement in Pathein.
Sent by NMG.