RAKHINE STATE – The junta council abducted five innocent civilians and are detaining them inside Border Guard Battalion 5 in Maungtaw, according to family members of the detained.
On May 10 around 6:00 a.m. over 30 junta forces in two cars abducted five innocent civilian men from Myoma (north) Ward (Wimala) in Maungtaw.
The abducted people are Mr. Aung Ko Myat (32), Mr. Zaw Naing Oo (34), Mr. Naing Naing Zaw (32), Mr. Win Che (37) and Mr. Zeekwat Che (22), according to a sister of one of the detained.
“They were all sleeping inside the same house, including my brother. They are all friends. They do odd jobs. They gathered and slept at the house as they were scared after hearing sounds of artillery fire from the battle. And the junta forces came and abducted them at around 6 a.m. We don’t know why they were taken away and also do not have any contact with them. Only now we heard that they are being detained inside Border Guard Battalion 5,” she said.
The coup council forces have been abducting young people in Rakhine State on accusations of being connected to the Arakan Army (AA) and have also been abducting innocent civilians in Maungtaw under various reasons.
Another family member of a detained person said that the five men arrested from Wimala have no connection to AA and asked for their immediate release as they have been detained for months for no reason.
“They are just civilians and have no connection to AA. We don’t even know if they are alive or dead. According to the junta border guard forces, one of them died. But we don’t know who. We are not even sure if it’s a reliable new. We ask that they are quickly released as they are innocent. The family members are extremely worried,” said the above family member.
The junta council forces in Maungtaw are said to be torturing and even murdering the civilians detained in Border Guard Battalion 5.
