YANGON—At least six senior figures from the ousted government led by the National League for Democracy (NLD), including a close aide to State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, were detained by the military regime in a series of raids late Wednesday night, following the armed forces’ takeover of the country.
The latest wave of arrests came after top NLD leaders publicly showed support for anti-coup protesters across the country and denounced the military coup. Nationwide mass protests against the military regime continue in every state and region, despite moves by the Myanmar police to begin cracking down on the demonstrations on Tuesday, using water cannons and opening fire on protesters in some places.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi aide U Kyaw Tint Swe, minister for the Office of the State Counselor under the ousted NLD government, was among those detained Wednesday night.
Dr. Myo Aung, a member of the NLD’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) who served as chairman of the Naypyitaw Development Committee, was taken by military personnel from his residence, where he was already under house arrest, the NLD said.
The NLD Central Information Committee confirmed that the chief minister of Rakhine State, U Nyi Pu, was also detained by the military at 11.00 p.m. on Wednesday after the party uploaded a video message in which he condemned the coup and urged the public to keep fighting for democracy.
The list of those detained includes the chief minister of Mon State, Dr. Aye Zan; CEC member U Htun Htun Hein; and U Kyaw Ho, a legal adviser to the party, the NLD said.
Information committee member U Kyi Toe said that following the latest wave of arrests, the NLD’s entire senior leadership, including all CEC members, are now in military detention.
This week, the military regime also rearrested the chief ministers of Yangon, Mandalay and Sagaing regions and Karen State, moving them from the government residences where they had been under house arrest. In Kachin State, all of the NLD’s state government ministers including the chief minister were arrested by the military last week.
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