The bodies of two members of the pro-democracy National League for Democracy (NLD) supporting family that owns the Sein Win Win Teashop in Mandalay were found by the side of the road after three of the family were arrested on 24 April.

Khin Maung Thein, his wife Daw Kha and his brother, who were well-known NLD supporters in Mandalay, were detained by the Military Council at their house on the night of 24 April. Two of them were murdered and another is in a critical condition. All of them were left by the side of the road.

“Khin Maung Thein, the owner of Sein Win Win teashop and his wife and brother were taken in custody by the junta’s troops on the night of 24 April. The next morning Khin Maung Thein and his wife, Daw Kha, were found tied up with rope at the side of the road. Daw Kha was still alive and she is being treated. Khin Maung Thein’s brother was also executed and abandoned by the side of the road”, a person close to the Sein Win Win family told Mizzima.

“We found a corpse near Jasmine residential housing complex on the strand circular road at 10:00 p.m, last night. We heard that it was Khin Maung Thein’s brother. The next morning, the body of Khin Maung Thein and his wife, Daw Kha were found near the Aung Pin Le circular road in the east of the city. We found them with “Thway-Thout” (MDY) militia group’s badges on their necks. There were lots of wounds on their bodies – most of the wounds were gunshots and bruises penetrated by something,” said an anonymous person from a volunteer group.

Khin Maung Thein served as a village tract administrator under the civilian government and he was a big supporter of the NLD.

Also, in Mandalay junta soldiers took Soe Soe, the wife of the NLD Mandalay Region vice-chairman Ko Ko Lay, as a hostage on 12th April. She was murdered at the Nang Twin interrogation center and her body was discarded near Gawyar Stadium in the east of the city.

“The military is targeting the people who support the NLD”, said a spokesperson from the Voice of Mandalay, a local news media outlet.

The Military Council is using propaganda to attack members of families who have voiced strong support for democracy on Telegram in the last month.

When junta supporters and the Myanmar military were removed from Facebook, they switched to using the Telegram social network. Using the Telegram channel they formed the Justice Seeker Group Telegram channel. It is making lists of people who: support democracy, are members of PDFs, anti-junta activists and journalists so that they can be targeted and attacked.

The Thway-Thout militia group that claimed responsibility for the killings has been praised by military backed Telegram accounts.