More people have been abducted by the Myanmar junta in southeast Myanmar with women, in particular, being targetted according to the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM).
HURFOM says that over the last week junta soldiers have once again targetted women. They arrested two young women near Kalein Aung Town, in Yebyu Township, in Tanintharyi Region’s Dawei District and sent them to their military-run interrogation centers, on 9 March 2023.
The women were identified as 17-year-old Ma Kay Thi Thi Lin from Zin Bar village and 18-year-old Ma Thet Myat Noe from Kyauk Shut (Nwe Le) village. They were on the way to buy mobile phones on their motorbike when they were stopped and arrested near a bridge on the way back.
Residents told HURFOM that since the women were arrested, there has been no contact with them.
According to local sources, the women were first detained at the Kalein Aung Police Station and then transferred to the interrogation center at the 410 Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) on 10 March 2023.
Also in Yebyu Township, three innocent villagers from Zardi village were arbitrarily abducted from their home by the junta Naval Command known as Mawrawaddy Naval headquarters based in Kanbauk, Yebyu.
"U Aung Min was sentenced to two years under Article 505 in May 2021 for allegedly leading anti-regime protests and was released on an amnesty a few months later. It is the second time he was arrested”, said a relative of one of the detainees.
"It seems like the Junta forces, and its militias already have a list of who they will arrest. They are waiting for a reason to arrest them," said another Kanbauk resident.
Another recent arrest and abduction recorded by HURFOM was the arrest, by soldiers from Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 106, of Nai Tint Wai, the owner of 'the Yadanar Men Gas Station in Mawkanin Village, Ye Township, in Mon State. One week later, the detainee was transferred to the MOMC 19th Light Battalion based in Ye Township.
He has not been allowed to meet with his family members.
"We don't know why he was arrested. His family members have sent food to him but have no chance to meet with him. We don't know anything about his situation," said a villager close to the detainee's family. Since the junta imposed martial law and a curfew (6 PM to 6 AM) throughout Ye Township, more innocent villagers have been killed and arrested by the military junta.
Between 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2022, HURFOM reported that in southeast Myanmar at least 146 people were killed, including 26 women and children. In addition, more than 480 were injured, and nearly 1500 were arbitrarily arrested and detained.
HURFOM said that the ongoing attacks further indicate the junta’s disregard for human life. Across HURFOM’s target areas, civilians continue to suffer from baseless attacks by the Burma Army’s military forces. The imposition of martial law in townships in HURFOM’s target area of southeast Myanmar has worsened already debilitating conditions.
