Chairman of Mya Sein Yaung Social Charity Group Arrested after Military was Informed by Village Administrator

July 4, 2014

Htaung Mam Village Administrator U Hla Hpei submitted complaints against Mya Sein Yaung Chairman Min Soe Myint Win, which has led to the arrest of the Htaung Mam Village, Mudon Township, Mon State social charity group’s chairman. Min Soe Myint Win was arrested by the Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) No. 565 on June 7^th, 2014.

U Hla Hpei submitted complaints to authorities accusing Min Soe Myint Win of being a fugitive who ran away from military training duty. Min Soe Myint Win was apprehended in Naing Pyaing Village, Mudon Township, while he was in transit to a social society workshop in Moulmein.

After graduating high school in 2001, Min Soe Myint Win was recruited by an LIB based in Mudon, enlisted in the military in 2003, and initially stationed in Shew Bo City, Mandalay District. In 2004, Min Soe Myint Win was transferred to Rangoon to serve as an assistant accountant for Military Intelligence.

When the Military Intelligence base was demolished in 2004, Min Soe Myint Win was assigned to work in Infantry Battalion No. 76. In 2005, with the objective of continuing his education at university, Min Soe Myint Win requested to return home, whereupon he graduated by distance learning from Government University.

Min Soe Myint Win believed be was free from any remaining military service, as the military never contacted him while he was living with his family during his four years of study.

Banyar Chean Mon, a friend close to Min Soe Myint Win, explains that U Hla Hpei complained to authorities in order to oust Min Soe Myint Win from his position of chairman, and take over control of the charity funds.

“To help poor people, the government funded [the] Mya Sein Yaung [social charity group],” said Banyar Chee Mon, “To manage that fund, we created [a] community. Min Seo Myint Win won [the position of] chairman of May Sein Yaung by [a] secret voting system. Soe Myint Win is an honest man. The village administrator tried to get rid of him in order to use the fund as they want.”

As Min Soe Myint Win was attending the social society workshop in Moulmein, U Hla Hpei was able to convince Soe Myint Win to return to Htaung Mam Village, with the ruse of a meeting regarding the Mya Seing Yaung social charity group. Soe Myint Win was told there was no meeting, only after he returned to the village. Early the next morning, on June 7^th, Soe Myint Win headed back to Moulmein to attend the workshop in time; he was arrested by LIB No. 565 on transit from Htaung Mam Village to Moulmein.

Banyar Chean Mon explains, “The wedding photo of Soe Myint Win was given to LIB No. 565. They waited with [a] car to arrest him. They said very simply that they [had] tried to arrest him for three days. They hired a car [for] 50,000 kyat per day. Three days cost 150,000 kyat. The village administrator gave [them] that money, so they had to detain him (Soe Myint Win). They will investigate later whether he is guilty or not. They don’t have a warrant order to arrest him for running away from the military. If there is [a] warrant order, the military and police have to arrest [him]. But now they arrested him because of [the] village administrator’s personal feeling.”

During his detention, Soe Myint Win reported that he was not treated badly.

Authorities went to Mandalay district to check if his name was on the military list of soldiers, and if Soe Myint Win’s name was on the list, the military could remove it. The military promised to release Soe Myint Win if his name was not, in fact, on the list. Though the chairman’s name was not found to be included on the LB No. 76 list, Soe Myint Win was not released, and remained detained with his feet chained together.

The military alleges that they later found his name on the list. Soe Myint Win was unchained, and moved to LIB No. 104, where he was ordered to stay with the soldiers.

Htaung Mam villagers are dissatisfied with Soe Myint Win’s detainment, and signed a request to spare Soe Myint Win’s life and to charge the village administrator.

Bayar Chean Mon states that according to Khin Mg Kyaw, the person responsible for Soe Myint Win’s arrest, “The village administrator requested to jail Soe Myint Win whatever it took. U Hla Hpei spend 150,000 for [the] car. He also bribed the military.” Bayar Chean Mon states that Khin Mg Kyaw disclosed to Soe Myint Win how much U Hla Hpei bribed the military for his arrest.

Citizens who actively participate in Myanmar’s development are arrested for many different reasons. Such a response to development initiatives negatively affects the country’s transition from dictatorship to democracy.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News