Mizzima
The Myanmar junta released a picture of popular rapper Byu Har after he was arrested for complaining about power outages in Yangon on social media.
At 2:00 p.m. on 23 May he posted a video on his Byu Har social media page where he swore at and criticised the Ministry of Electric Power for not even being able to provide electricity in Yangon for four hours on and four hours off.
He unfavourably compared the current electricity supply in Yangon with the electricity supply the city received when Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party was in power, saying it was far better then.
He also said which housing estate he lives on in the video.
The 4-minute-long video went viral among social media users and his fans said they were worried that he would be arrested by the junta.
After the video’s release there were calls for the rapper's arrest on junta Telegram channels.
Sure enough, on the night of 23 May, Byu Har was arrested by a large force of junta soldiers at his home in the Ba Htoo Housing Estate in Yangon’s North Dagon Township.
His arrest and the photograph of him handcuffed and under arrest were put up on junta Telegram channels on the afternoon of 24 May.
In a social media post made at 3:00 p.m. on 25 May, Ko Byu Har’s brother said: “The soldiers and police came to arrest Ko Byu Har at his home in North Dagon. We do not know where they took him. His wife said that he was punched even when talking calmly to the soldiers.”
After news of Ko Byu Har’s arrest spread worried fans of his started leaving comments on social media.
One said: “He was arrested. In our country people are not allowed to speak the truth.”
Currently, it is not known where Byu Har is being held, Mizzima is still investigating.
Byu Har is the son of the famous Myanmar composer Sir Naing Myanma.
Yangon Electricity Supply Corporation (YESC) says that currently it is rotating electricity supply with the electricity being on for four hours, then off for four hours. In reality, they often just supply one hour on, instead of four.
