Seven detainees in Than Taung lose contact with family members

May 25, 2023

HURFOM: According to family members of seven detainees abducted by the junta forces on May 19 from Than Taung town, in Karen State, their loved ones are still missing as of today.

Seven local men living in the 13-Miles ward No.1 of Than Taung town were arrested in the early Morning of May 19th by an estimated 20 members of junta troops.

HURFOM talked to some family members who did not want to be named, indicating they have no idea where their family members are detained or what charges were used to arrest them.

“The junta’s troops seemed to include military and police, and some members also wore civilian clothes. They initially said that they came to arrest people they received information about, mainly because of the alleged presence of PDF in this neighborhood. They raided the houses they suspected and destroyed many things. They asked where the PDF members were, and when they couldn’t find them, they arrested the owners of the houses,” stated a villager from ward No.1, who witnessed the events.

“My nephew is not associated with any group around here. He is from the Than Taung village and is only 21 years old. I am sure that (he was) no connection with any organization or any armed forces, and he does not participate in the current movement. The others who were grabbed were also young people. They arrested people and chained them from behind. We don’t know why they were arrested or where they were taken,” she continued.

Seven victims ranging in age from 20 and 40 years old were arrested. Some were detained while they were at home, while others were arrested on the way back home from another neighborhood, and some were taken forcibly on their way home from work.

According to the local people, due to the recent armed conflict in Than Taung (13 miles), almost the entire town has fled over the past few months. Only a few residents have returned. This latest incident has again raised fears of arbitrary arrests of local residents by the junta military.

Written by Modinator · Filed Under News