October 17, 2022
The military council arrested two members of the Karuna (compassion) Network in Maungdaw Township, Arakan State, around 11 pm on October 14, one of whom was later released.
Junta soldiers arrested U Hla Thein, the network’s 35-year-old treasurer, and his brother-in-law Ko Aung Myat Nyein, 25, at their home. The regime released Ko Aung Myat Nyein at around 8:30 am on October 15, an official of the network told Development Media Group (DMG).
“They [junta soldiers] came to the house and arrested him. They came in the disguise of guest list inspectors. Since U Hla Thein was at home at the time, they went up to the house, checked his documents and took him away. They also forced his brother-in-law to come with them, saying they’d to question him as well, but he was released at around 8:30 this morning,” the network official said.
Following the arrests of its members, Karuna Network announced that it’s been temporarily closed since October 15.
The network’s official added that they’ve stopped their social services as they feel unsafe after the military council has increasingly arrested social activists.
“We’ve heard that they’ve started arresting people involved in social work almost everywhere. It’s not just those in Maungdaw Township. Social workers all over the country are no longer safe. They feel unsafe. That’s why we stopped doing social work,” he said.
Calls to Arakan State’s Minister of Security and Border Affairs, Colonel Kyaw Thura, and to the junta’s spokesman, Major General Zaw Min Tun, went unanswered.
According to the group’s statement, Karuna Network had been providing social services for funeral affairs and emergency relief activities since August 1, 2018, regardless of race and religion.
Previously, regime soldiers and police officers arrested a man named U Kyaw Thu from Yadanapala Funeral Services Association in Mrauk-U Township on October 3 and released him on October 4.
On October 6, military council arrested U Kyaw Nyunt of the Yadanapala Funeral Services Association and released him on October 7.
Also, on October 16, the military council’s 540th Light Infantry Battalion in Mrauk-U attempted to arrest Ko Ann Thar Gyi, also known as Than Shwe, the chairman of the Thingaha Kann Latt Rakhita group, but the attempt failed. A case was filed against him under Section 505 (a) of the Penal Code.
According to the DMG, in the three months from June to September 21, the military council arrested 140 people on suspicion, more than 60 of whom haven’t been released to date.
Sent by Aung Htein (DMG).