Resistance arrests deputy leader of pro-junta militia in Mandalay Region

Resistance forces arrested Sein Lwin, the deputy leader of a pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee militia in Myingyan and the husband of militia leader Thida Yu Mon on January 14 in Mandalay Region, resistance sources said. The two pro-junta militia leaders have worked with junta forces to carry out raids, arson attacks and other operations against civilian communities along the Myingyan–Bagan–Nyaung-U road, local sources said.According to Min Thar Gyi, a commander of the National Unity Government (NUG)'s People's Defense Force (PDF), Sein Lwin, 44, was arrested while traveling by car with three others during a roadside check on the Bagan–Nyaung-U road. "He was arrested during an inspection,” Min Thar Gyi told Myanmar Now. “Since he didn't have weapons or ammunition, there was no resistance. He was arrested quite easily.” Resistance forces said they seized a vehicle, cash, narcotics and a Pyu Saw Htee militia ID identifying Sein Lwin as a deputy leader in Myingyan, while three others detained with him remain under interrogation. "The two of them, husband and wife, are like hand in glove,” Min Thar Gyi said.“They're married because they're so similar. But mainly, he himself has completed training. The ID card also clearly says he is a Pyu Saw Htee leader.” An identification card belonging to Sein Lwin, showing his membership in a Pyu Saw Htee militia group operating in Taungtha Township. The junta-backed militias have been widely accused of assisting Myanmar military units in raids, arrests, and reprisals against civilians (Photo: Taungtha Battalion) Sein Lwin is being temporarily detained and investigated, with further action to be coordinated at the township level, resistance officials said. After his arrest, militia members loyal to the militia leader reportedly launched armed searches in Myingyan town.Resistance sources accuse Thida Yu Mon’s group of working with the Myanmar military attacks on civilians and targeted killings. They also claim she is also a member of the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party.The arrests come amid a sharp escalation in junta violence in central Myanmar. From January 12 to 14, airstrikes hit Myit Chay town and nearby villages in Magway Region, across the Ayeyarwady River from Bagan, killing a 60-year-old woman and injuring her husband, local sources said. The attacks, carried out by fighter jets and paramotors, damaged homes and farmland despite no active ground fighting in the area.The strikes are part of a broader crackdown in Pakokku Township and surrounding areas, where resistance groups say the military has intensified arson attacks since December, burning nearly 300 homes in two months. Magway Region has become one of the hardest-hit areas by airstrikes since the junta’s election process began late last year, as fighting has shifted toward central Myanmar.

Resistance arrests deputy leader of pro-junta militia in Mandalay Region

Sein Lwin, deputy leader of a Pyu Saw Htee group accused of raids and arson, was arrested during a roadside check as junta airstrikes and village burnings intensify nearby

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