Families concerned for men reported missing in Minbya Township

By Myo Thiri Kyaw 05 Mar 2020

Myo Thiri Kyaw/DMG
March 5, Minbya

A village administrator and a resident of Nayan village in Minbya Township, Arakan State, are missing and have been incommunicado for days, with family members concerned for their whereabouts and well-being.

Fifty-nine-year-old U Kyaw Mya Sein, the village administrator, and Ko Yang Aung Chay, 30, have been missing from the village since the evening of March 2.

Minbya Township lawmaker U Hla Thein Aung said that he heard about the missing men from the township administrator and had informed township police of the situation. But he said that he did not yet have any idea of who had detained them.

“People are missing. If they are detained on suspicion, they should be released if they didn’t do anything wrong, or they should have action taken against them according to the law if they did something wrong,” he said.

U Maung Bu, the brother of U Kyaw Mya Sein, told DMG that he witnessed Tatmadaw soldiers taking his brother in the village while the local administrator was attempting to intervene to stop a fight among men who had been drinking.

“My brother didn’t do anything wrong. He is a person who likes helping people. I’d like to see my brother,” U Maung Bu said.

DMG attempted to contact Colonel Win Zaw Oo of the Tatmadaw’s Western Command to ask about the missing men, but he did not respond.