A member of Myanmar’s ousted ruling party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), was among at least nine people arrested in Mandalay over the past week, according to local sources.
Than Su, an NLD member in her 50s, was taken from her home in the city’s Chanayethazan Township on November 16 along with her adult son and a guest in his 20s, according to a family friend.
“They came into the house and arrested both mother and son. I think they tracked the guest down to their home. They beat all three and took them away,” said the friend.
“What I don’t understand is why they came for her now. She was just staying peacefully at her home. If they had wanted to charge her with incitement, they could have done that a lot sooner,” he added.
According to another local NLD member, Than Su joined the party in 2012 and took part in its campaign efforts during the 2020 general elections. The party won a resounding victory, but was prevented from taking power by a coup in February 2021.
The current whereabouts of Than Su and the other detainees was still unknown, the NLD member added.
“Some are saying that she has died, but we are still trying to confirm it as the family hasn’t been notified,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
A day earlier, there were also reports that a teacher named Aung Zaw Oo had been arrested on suspicion of funding anti-junta resistance groups. No further information was available at the time of reporting.
Last Friday, the military also reportedly arrested three men on a motorcycle on 66th Street, between 12th and 14th Streets, in Aungmyaythazan Township. The identities of the men could not be confirmed.
On Monday, two other unidentified men were similarly apprehended west of the U Pyar Overpass in Chanmyathazi Township. They were reportedly rammed on their motorcycle and then taken away in a van that was parked nearby.
Earlier this month, the regime arrested at least five people in Mandalay, all in connection with rumours that it was planning to impose a curfew in the city in response to a spreading conflict in Shan State that has been moving closer to Mandalay Region.
