The Military Council arrested eight protesters in Kachin’s Hpakant Township on the evening of 13 July, according to a strike organiser.

A leading member of the strike committee organising the strike said that seven women and one man were arrested near Sai Taung village on the evening of 13 July. They were returning home after attending a public protest in Seikmu Village, in Hpakant Township.

'They reportedly stopped the car and arrested the protesters near the village [Sai Taung Village]. We are still investigating and trying to find out what is happening to them,' said a source from Hpakant.

The source said that initial investigations indicate that the eight prisoners have been sent to Hpakant Tactical Hill for interrogation.