Jealous Junta's Dirty Campaign

25 January 2008
Original report by DVB
Translation by Nay Chi U

Local authorities in Pwint Hpyu, Magwe' are doing everything they can to repress and bully members of the National League for Democracy Party and recently giving pressure for a teacher to lose his job.

U Sein Win, member of the Humanitarian Support Committee, NLD, has recently lost his job at a private bording school in Nga Chauk Kyun, Nan Daw Kyun cluster of villages, run by U Tun Win Naing. According to the NLD party, the school was pressured by the juntas 'authorities' to dismiss U Sein Win, who attended the controversial Independence Day celebration in Chauk.

Pwint Hpyu MP Dr Aung Moe Nyo said," U Sein Win's right to teach at boarding school was taken away by the authorities, as a result of his attending the Independence Day celebration in Chauk. He has lost his job and the school has lost an excellent teacher. He went there to teach because they school desperately needed a teacher and it has been a great loss for the kids who are sitting the matric exams soon"

U Sein Win however is no stranger to the junta's dirty campaign. He was inprisoned in 1969 for his involvement in student protests. During the 1990 general election campaign he jointly wrote a song, which the government tried to ban and he subsequently lost his job.

The deliberate actions of the juntas 'authorities' in targetting NLD members to socially isolate them was criticised by Dr Aung Moe Nyo.

"They wish to isolate us so to make us feel alone in society, so that we feel friedless and become depressed. It is a deliberate and systematic attack. They are trying desperately to destroy us; our party campaign,our self-respect. At the same time, they support and encourage their militia organisations such as Swan Arr Shins and USDA"

"The public know very well how the members of the juntas 'poodle' militia groups are always getting drunk and behaving in a vulgar way. For this reason they are pleased to be able to give respect to NLD members for their dignity and honest work. This is precisely why these juntas 'poodle' groups are so upset about and jealous."

Taung Dwingyi NLD Leaders Taken Away Without Explanation

15 January 2008
Original reporty by Ye May Aung, DVB
Translation by Nay Chi U

It is reported that U Maung Soe and U Par Lay, leading members of the National League for Democracy Party, Taung Dwingyi, Magwe' were being taken from their homes, by an unknown group believed to be from the military junta, without explanation.

U Par Lay,who is a secretary of the Party Promotional Committee, Taung Dwingyi NLD, was at home in Chaung Net Village, when he was arrested at 1:00 pm on Sunday 13 January.

At 4:00 pm, on the same day, U Maung Soe, the Deputy Chair of Taung Dwingyi NLD was also taken from his home,in Taung Pyin, Taung Dwingyi.

They were taken away in a van, which had a star sign on the number plate. The 6 unknown people who took the NLD Members away, were accompanied by members of the local police.

Both gentlemen were being hand cuffed (with hands behind them) and blind-folded, in front of the family members, before being driven away.

The family members asked the unknown group to identify themselves, explain the reasons for the abduction and also where the NLD Members are being taken to. The lack of any answer has left the families extremely worried and concerned for the safety of the two gentlemen.

Six More NLD Members Arrested

3 January 2008
Original report by Naw Say Paw, DVB

Member of Parliament and 5 of his colleagues, all of them, members of National League for Democracy Party were arrested and detained last night, it is reported.

Dr Aung Moe Nyo, MP, Pwint Hpu, Magwe, Ko Htay Myint, U Than Tun, U Ko Oo and a teacher U Sein Win (all from Nyaung Pin Sat Village) and Ko Nay Myo Kyaw from Saku were preparing to travel to attend the 60th Anniversary of Burma's Independence Day celebration at the home of U Khin Win, Chairman, NLD Party, Ye' Nan Chaung, when they were arrested.

The members were rounded up at midnight in Nyaung Pin Sat by a 20 strong police contingent led by the area official and are being held in Pwint Hpu police station. When he learnt about the arrest in the morning, the brother of Dr Aung Moe Nyo went to the police station where the NLD members have been detained, where he was told that the arrests were made in order to stop the group attending the Independence Day ceremony.

'I was told that there were concerns about 4th January and also about the gathering of the crowds. It was an order from the 'superiors'. They (the police) were acting, according to the order, to temporarily detain the NLD members', said the brother.

There were also reports that U Kin Win, the Chairman, Ye'Nan Chaung NLD Party and a few others who were organising the Independence Day's 60th anniversary celebration, were taken away by authorities for questioning.