November 13, 2024,
The military junta has issued a secret directive to arrest and interrogate individuals who participated in anti-junta protests following the February 2021 coup. This order, which was recently dispatched in early November, is aimed at targeting protestors from early demonstrations and includes a detailed investigation into their possible connections with groups like the PDF (People’s Defense Force) and NUG (National Unity Government), as well as financial support or communication with these groups.
The directive was sent to various regions, including Yangon, Mandalay, and Naypyidaw, and arrived at local police stations by November 8. According to a source within the police, the order specifies that anyone who participated in the early protests is to be investigated for possible ties to resistance groups or ongoing communication with these entities.
“The directive is to capture and investigate those involved in the early protests of 2021. These individuals may have provided support to the PDF or NUG, donated money, or continued to provide intelligence. We have been ordered to specifically monitor them,” a police source revealed.
Local township authorities in Yangon and Mandalay have been instructed to gather information on those who took part in the initial protests, compiling detailed reports that include their current occupation, residential addresses, and family connections. Information from neighborhood heads and informants is being used to track down protest participants.
Similarly, in Mon State’s Mawlamyine city, a prominent early protester, 58-year-old U Aung Khine, was arrested on the night of November 12, 2024, at around 11 p.m. Military vehicles surrounded the entire neighborhood before U Aung Khine was detained. The military also arrested his two associates, reportedly after blocking the area with armored vehicles. Sources indicate that U Aung Khine is being interrogated and tortured in a military facility while his associates remain detained in a local police station.
According to local reports, U Aung Khine had been a leading figure in early protests against the military junta in Mawlamyine. “He was always at the forefront of the protests, and after his arrest last night, the entire neighborhood was sealed off by military vehicles,” said a regional source. “He and his two companions were arrested after being cornered inside their homes, and now he is being tortured as part of the interrogation process.” The interrogation is believed to be taking place at a military facility on the southern outskirts of Mawlamyine.
