The Myanmar junta has arrested more than 30 people in Waw Township, Bagon Region, including more than 20 residents who were arrested after local defense forces opened fire on the Nyaung Khar Shey police station in the township, according to a statement released by 2 May by People’s Defense Force – Waw Township.
Local residents and a PDF-Waw official said the PDF-Waw and Battalion 3701 of Bago District carried out the attack on the police station and the administration office following the arrests of 20 people, including one person who is not a participant of the CDM, based on tip-offs from the village administrator; the regime also arrested people who had nothing to do with either the National League for Democracy (NLD) or the attacks.
“More than 30 people have been arrested. Those who had been arrested before have not yet ben released. The army also arrested people they encountered when they entered villages, tied them up and beat them during interrogation. A youth from Bagan village was arrested yesterday. His head was broken after he was assaulted. Other arrested people were also taken to interrogation centers,” he told the Karen Information Center (KIC).
According to a statement from PDF-Waw, those arrested by the junta are from Nyaungkharshey, Phoesapal, Winkadat and Chaungkyoe villages and were arrested based on tip-offs from military informants.
In addition, the PDF-Waw had warned local Pyu Saw Htee members, who had been provided with weapons by the military council, to leave the township within a week from 31 March. The local defense forces had also issued a warning to pro-junta informants and individuals through their social media page in the last week of April.
A similar incident occurred when the PDF-Waw attacked the checkpoint at the entrance to Hpayarpyo village manned by regime soldiers, police officers, and members of the Pyu Saw Htee, killing two junta members and injuring four others.
Sent by KIC.