Maungdaw: The arrest of Muslim leaders continues unabated. Three more Muslim leaders were arrested by the Burmese military junta authorities on Wednesday in the western border town of Maungdaw, said a local Muslim resident.

Dr. Kyaw Myint, Dr. Tun Aung, and Nur Kobi, a car driver, were arrested by Burmese intelligence agency personnel yesterday and brought to the Sarafa Intelligence headquarters for interrogation.

"This is the second roundup of Muslim community leaders in our town in three days, with the first roundup taking place on March 30," the resident said.

In the first raid, 10 Muslim community leaders, including the chairman of the Maungdaw Distrtict Myanmar Muslim League U Than Tun, were arrested.

"I heard the leaders were severely tortured by intelligence agents during the interrogation and their health has started deteriorating after the torture in the interrogation cell," he said.

Another source said many educated Muslim leaders in Maungdaw have been hiding in fear of arrest since the first raid took place on Sunday.

The Burmese military authorities have not disclosed the reasons behind the arrest, but there are rumors that the Muslim community leaders were preparing to oppose the ensuing referendum.

There is also a rumor that they were arrested by authorities because they made contact with the NLD Rangoon headquarters to conduct their anti-referendum campaign in Maungdaw Township.

However, town's elders in Maungdaw could not confirm this rumor because the authorities have not disclosed any details of the arrest, said a resident.