Generation Wave President, Moe Thway, told Mizzima: “We don’t really understand the reason why it has happened only now, at this time.” He said the authorities had stated their intention to settle old cases.

In a statement released by the group on Thursday, it was announced that Wai Phyo, Secretary of Generation Wave, was arrested by Aung Lin, the Chief of Pyay Township police station (1) at 11:30 am on Wednesday.

According to the group, the police explanation for the arrest was for a ‘Free Political Prisoners’ poster campaign which he organized in July 2011.Two other members of Generation Wave were arrested in July 2011 and sentenced to three months imprisonment or 30,000 kyat (US$1,000) penalty in February 2012. Wai Phyo escaped arrest and police have had a warrant out for him since then.

Following the arrest on Wednesday, police took Wai Phyo to Pyay Township court and asked permission from the judge to detain him for a two-week interrogation process.

“There were also several arrests, charges and long term imprisonments on some other human rights and political activists in recent months. So We [Generation Wave] would say government authorities’ repressions on activists could destroy the impression of democratic transition which was going by the President’s lead, and it can decrease the trust on government from people of Myanmar and the International community as well,” the group stated.

They added: “We, activists are raising the voices of people in the communities to the government to know what’s happening in reality and find solutions for problems. That means we are just helping the government in democratic transition regarding the President’s slogan ‘Parliament’s Voice must be People’s Voice’.”

Generation Wave was founded after the Saffron Revolution in 2007, and in 2009 began operating illegally out of the Myanmar-Thai border town of Mae Sot.

The group moved back to Yangon in 2011 as the former military regime dissolved to form a quasi-civilian government.