Seven Taungup Twsp men including philanthropist being questioned

By DMG 19 Jun 2021

DMG Newsroom
19 June 2021, Taungup 

Seven people including the chairman of a philanthropic organisation in Taungup, Arakan State, are currently being questioned following their arrest earlier this month, according to the Arakan State Administration Council. 

They were arrested at the Phon Nyo security checkpoint on the Taungup-Thandwe road on June 5. U Hla Thein, spokesperson of the Arakan State Administration Council, said he did not know where the seven people were being interrogated. 

“As far as I know, seven people were arrested by a combined squad consisting of military, police and other authorities,” he said. 

U Hla Thein added that although he did not know why the seven people were being detained for questioning, the case was not related to the Arakan Army (AA). 

“The seven people are currently being interrogated. All I can say is that this is not an AA case and there may be legal action against them,” he said. 

Ko Aung Hlaing Win, chairman of the Moe Pyinnyar Dana Philanthropic Association in Taungup, is among the seven arrestees and the other six have not been identified, according to the charitable group. 

The wife of Ko Aung Hlaing Win, Ma Twetar Soe, said she was worried about her husband because she had not been allowed to see him since his arrest. 

“We have not been in contact with him yet. Since he was arrested, we’ve faced many difficulties and are struggling to make ends meet,” she said. 

According to his wife, Ko Aung Hlaing Win runs a fishing business to support his family. 

The Moe Pyinnyar Dana Philanthropic Association offers free vocational training, including computer classes and English-language workshops, which are attended by more than 50 trainees from Arakan State. 

Another Taungup Township resident, U Aye Than Maung of Lamu village-tract, was also detained for unclear reasons more recently, reportedly taken into custody by two uniformed military personnel and two plainclothes policemen.