Myanmar’s military regime arrested more members of the Solidarity Trade Union of Myanmar (STUM) this week, just days after taking its leader Myo Myo Aye into custody.
During a raid on the group’s office in Yangon’s Shwepyithar Township on Monday, junta troops detained Myo Myo Aye’s daughter and six staff members, said a source who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“Family members have yet to make contact and are continuing to seek information,” the source said, adding that the six staffers included three men and three women.
“We’re all very concerned. They were taken away, but no one knows their whereabouts,” he added.
The latest arrests come after Myo Myo Aye’s daughter, Chue Thwel, posted information on social media about her mother’s arrest on July 25. Her current location also remains unknown.
The arrests were reportedly made by the Office of the Chief of Military Security Affairs, the military intelligence agency responsible for running the country’s notorious interrogation centres.
The regime has not released any statement about the arrests, and officials at the Shwepyithar Township Police Station have not responded to requests for information.
Myo Myo Aye was previously detained in April 2021 and charged with incitement in connection with protests against the military takeover in February of that year. She spent six months in prison before being released as part of an amnesty in October 2021.
STUM and 15 other labour organisations were also declared illegal by the anti-regime National Unity Government in March 2021 for allegedly collaborating with military authorities.
In the aftermath of the coup, many workers’ rights groups were targeted by the regime, prompting some activists to flee to liberated areas along Myanmar’s borders. STUM chose to continue its activities in junta-controlled areas despite the crackdowns.
Labour rights groups have long faced repression in Myanmar, where workers are routinely denied basic rights. In June, the International Labour Organisation reinstated sanctions on the regime for its failure to address concerns about forced labour and the denial of freedom of association in the country.
The sanctions were previously imposed against the regime of former dictator Than Shwe in 2000.
