A doctor from Myebon Township, Arakan State, who was detained by the military regime on Tuesday remains in military custody and his whereabouts are still unknown, according to family members and sources close to Dr. Win Naing Soe.
The 37-year-old physician from Nga/Pa Thone cottage hospital was detained by three men in plainclothes from the Public Health Department in the Arakan State capital Sittwe at about 5 p.m. on Tuesday, a source close to the doctor told DMG.
“He was taken away in a private car. We still don’t know where he is being detained,” he said.
The arrest came after the Navy’s seizure of a boat carrying medicines and medical devices from Sittwe bound for Nga/Pa Thein cottage hospital, in Pauktaw Township, on Sunday. The boat owner was detained the same day, and was released two days later.
Dr. Win Naing Soe was detained as he travelled to Sittwe to address the seizure of medicines and the arrest of the boat owner, said U Win Than, secretary of the Nga/Pa Thone Village administration.
“He went to Sittwe out of a sense of responsibility because he feared that the boat owner would be punished because of the medicines. So, he went there to explain to authorities that the medicines were ordered by him. He was detained and has not yet been released,” U Win Than said.
A family member of the detainee said he is concerned about the safety of the doctor as his whereabouts remain unknown.
“We know nothing about where and why he is being detained. We want to know what is happening,” the family member said.
A resident of Nga/Pa Thone Village said the doctor is a pillar of strength when it comes to community health.
“We hope he will be released soon, and are praying for him. All of us in this area have to rely on him for our health. He is a good doctor with a warm heart for those in need,” the resident said.
The Nga/Pa Thone area alone has a population of more than 6,000 people, and the cottage hospital run by Dr. Win Naing Soe is the major health care facility for not only Nga/Pa Thone but also for some 13 nearby villages.
DMG was unable to contact Dr. Kyi Lwin, head of the Arakan State Health Department, for comment on Dr. Win Naing Soe’s arrest.
On September 6, Dr. Kyaw Thura Tun from Taungup was arrested by the regime. After more than two weeks of detention and interrogation, he was charged under the Unlawful Associations Act on September 23.
