Myanmar junta forces have arrested the wife of Dr. Zin Lynn, who was reported to be among four young people killed by regime troops at midnight on Saturday in Yangon’s Sanchaung township.
A relative of Dr. Zin Lynn told The Irrawaddy that the doctor’s wife, who is herself a medical doctor, was arrested at her house in Yangon on Sunday afternoon. Details of the arrest are still unknown.
The relative added that family members based in Yangon are still trying to confirm the death of Dr. Zin Lynn and to ascertain the whereabouts of his body, if he was indeed killed. Dr. Zin Lynn and his wife have a 7-month-old baby.
Reports circulated that four young people were publicly tortured and shot dead on the road next to the Myaynigone flyover at around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday. Propaganda published by military supporters portrayed the incident as a shootout between civilian guerrilla fighters and junta forces on the flyover. The propaganda accounts also stated there were casualties among the junta forces.
However, according to accounts of locals and video footage uploaded by Khit Thit media, there was no shootout in the area and the young people were dragged down from their apartment, beaten and kicked several times and shot. The Irrawaddy couldn’t independently verify the number of fatalities.
On Tuesday, the same news outlet identified Dr. Zin Lynn and nurse Ma Khin Khin Kywel as among those killed.
Both Dr. Zin Lynn and nurse Ma Khin Khin Kywel actively volunteered to work on the frontline in the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.
Following the Feb. 1 coup that overthrew the civilian government, the two joined anti-regime protests calling on people to fight for democracy, and persisted in taking to the streets despite the junta’s brutal assaults and killings of peaceful protesters in the following days.
Ma Khin Khin Kywel also participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement by leaving her workplace, the 500-Bed Yangon Specialty Hospital. Dr. Zin Lynn, the operator of a private clinic in Yangon, was also among those who publicly and strongly opposed the junta.
The Students’ Unions for Nursing and Midwifery in the country issued condolence letters in response to the reports of the death of the nurse and paid tribute to the fallen hero.
The junta has yet to make an official announcement about the incident. On Monday night, locals reported that junta troops came to the scene and looked for the person who captured the events on video.
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