A total of six activists were rounded up by Burmese authorities in a raid on a safe house over the weekend, Amnesty International said on Sunday, as the junta continued to hunt for protest leaders.
The London-based human rights watchdog had on Saturday reported that four political dissidents, including two prominent leaders of recent anti-junta rallies, had been arrested in Rangoon.
New information confirmed that, in fact, six people were arrested in a raid early on Saturday by security forces on a house in Burma’s commercial hub, an Amnesty spokesperson in Bangkok said on Sunday.
”There is no information on where they are being detained,” the group said in a statement. ”Amnesty International is seriously concerned for the safety of all six people, who are at grave risk of torture and ill-treatment.”
The statement quoted witnesses, who said that about 70 members of the security forces had raided a residence where the activists were hiding.
Htay Kywe and Mi Mi, who led some of the first protests against the military regime in mid-August, were held along with Aung Thu, a 43-year-old activist.
The other three people have not yet been identified, the spokesperson said, but two are believed to be members of prominent activist group the 88 Generation Students, while the other person is thought to be the home owner.
Htay Kywe and Mi Mi helped lead August’s protests, which were sparked by an overnight jump in fuel prices in Burma that left many unable to afford even to travel to work.
They went into hiding after 13 pro-democracy leaders were arrested on August 21. They all belong to the 88 Generation Students, made up of veteran student leaders who spearheaded the 1988 democracy uprising.
Burma’s military rulers cracked down on the recent protests in late September after Buddhist monks joined the movement, bringing popular support to the campaign and drawing up to 100 000 people into the streets.
At least 13 people were killed and about 2 000 people arrested in the government sweep, and about 1 000 of them are still in custody.
Concern has been growing for the political prisoners after a monitoring group based in Thailand reported last week that an activist died when tortured during interrogation.
Htay Kywe is reportedly in poor health, Amnesty said.
In 1989, the military junta officially changed the English version of its name from Burma to Myanmar. Burmese opposition groups continue to use the name ”Burma” since they do not recognise the legitimacy of the ruling military government nor its authority to rename the country. — Sapa-AFP