No information was received about a secondary school principal and a secondary teacher from Paletwa since they were arrested by the Military Council soldiers, distressed family members said.
U Zaw Tin, the principal of Nhmada Village Middle School, was arrested by the Military Council troops from his home in Paletwa on the night of October 7. Family members said that they had not been in contact with U Zaw Tin since then.
As of October 11, U Zaw Tin is still under arrest and no other information has been received, a close relative said.
The relative said “They took him from his home in Paletwa. We don't know why he was taken. We think he was taken to the 289th Battalion. We can't even go there and check what's going on. There is still no news about him. Some say that the army used to inform about the education staff they arrested after about 3 days. But for now, nothing is known”.
Similarly, U Maung Win Than, a secondary school teacher from the Nhmada Village Middle School, was arrested by the Military Council on his way back from Kyauktaw to Paletwa in the morning of October 6. He was arrested at Longsu Bridge near the headquarters of the 289th Battalion based in Paletwa and had not been contacted since then, a family member said.
“Nothing had been heard since his arrest. His aunt wanted to go to the 289th Battalion to ask about him, but she was not allowed to go and had to turn back. A lot of rumors are spreading so all of us are very worried right now”, the family member explained.
In recent months, there had been posts on the Dwarawadi Facebook page falsely accusing school teacher U Maung Win Than of being a fundraiser for Arakan Army (AA). The family member claimed that he was just an ordinary teacher.
Currently, even though it can be confirmed that both arrested teachers have been detained in Paletwa based 289th Battalion, no other information about them is heard and the family members become very distressed.
In June, three elderly men from Paletwa were also arrested by the Military Council and prosecuted under Section 505(a) of sedition.
