Three people’s defence force (PDF) members seeking medical treatment were arrested in the Thai border town of Mae Sot and handed back to the Myanmar junta’s Border Guard Force (BGF).

It is believed that they are currently being interrogated at the Thingan Nyi Naung Myanmar junta military camp in Myawaddy.

Thiha (38), Htet Nay Win (31), and Saw Phyo Lay (26) were arrested by Thai Immigration at a checkpoint on the road to Bangkok on 1 April.

They had been trying to go to a medical clinic in Mae Sot to receive treatment, but got lost and took a wrong turn.

A person who was trying to assist the detained men said to Mizzima: “Thai immigration officers arrested them and sent them to the immigration office that evening [1 April]. I went there to see if I could help get them released. The Thai military was also trying to help get them released.”

Despite this, the men were not released in Thailand. The same person explained: “On the evening of 3 April the Thai military was also helping to get them released. Thai Immigration told us to come back on 4 April. But, when we went there at 11:00 a.m. the next day, they told us that they had already sent the arrested men across the border at 10:00 a.m.”

Once Thai Immigration handed the men over to the BGF at the Mae Sot/Myawaddy border crossing they were taken to the BGF’s Inn Gyin Myaing Border Gate camp.

Apparently, the men then tried to escape from the BGF camp but BGF soldiers shot at them. Two of the men were reportedly hit by the gunfire, one in the chest and one in the thigh.

BGF Major Naing Maung Zaw then handed the three men, whose heads were covered in black plastic bags, over to the Myanmar junta army, according to a source who is close to the army.

The men were taken to the Thingan Nyi Naung army camp where it is believed they are being tortured and interrogated.

Since March this year, the Thai authorities have been raiding places where Burmese people stay in Mae Sot. They seem to be looking for specific, identified people as they have photos of people they are looking for.

There have been reports that Thai police and immigration officers also arrested several members of Myanmar’s Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) in Mae Sot and handed them over to the Myanmar military in March.

Myanmar migrant workers organisations have warned migrants, particularly those in Mae Sot, to be careful and to take security precautions.