Many have been taken arbitrarily in night raids and their families do not know where their loved ones are, or in what condition they are, the United Nations said. Those who have been forcibly disappeared are more likely to be tortured or abused than those arrested, Human Rights Watch said.
National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Matt Lin was arrested in Yangon, the largest city, after he died in custody on Tuesday, Reuters reported, citing ousted lawmaker Ba Myo Thien.
The Political Chadg Group Aid Organization for Political Prisoners (AAPP) said in a statement that “Zaw Maiat Lin, head of an educational institution, was pronounced dead today after being tortured after an arbitrary night raid.”
The exact cause of death is not yet known but the AAPP added that Zav Miat Lin was shot.
Shortly before his arrest, Z My Miat Lin posted a live stream on Facebook in which he said, “I want to encourage all citizens across the country to protest 24 hours against the dictatorship.”
He urged the people to continue fighting the army, saying, “We will risk our lives to defeat them.”
“We have the U.N. And we are showing the international community, including other agencies, that we, the people of Myanmar, want democracy and that we value democracy as the most precious thing in our lives.
It follows the death of Yangon NLD party president Khin Maung Latt, who died in custody on Saturday.
“On the night of his arrest, Khin Maung Lut was tortured in his cell,” the AAPP said in a news release. NLD MLA Ba Myo Thin told Reuters that he was suspicious of reports of injuries to the head and body of Khin Maung Lut.
CNN could not independently verify the report and the details surrounding the deaths of Zamt Lin and Khin Maung Lut were not immediately clear.
Rebel leader General by rights groups. The military junta, led by Minung Hang Ling, has called for an immediate and impartial investigation into the deaths.
Brad Ad Dums, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement that Myanmar’s public security forces were on the run and could quickly find out who killed Khin Maung Lat if they wanted to. “If they want to show that they believe in the rule of law, all responsible must be taken into account. Unfortunately, Myanmar’s security forces seem intent on using night raids and brutal behavior to intimidate and break popular resistance to military rule.”
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military seized power, detaining state adviser Suu Kyi and forming a new junta to run the country. For more than a month, protesters in Myanmar have marched in their thousands every day to resist military rule.
Security forces have responded with increasing violence and brutality. Witnesses reported the judge’s murder, while footage and photographs showed police and soldiers beating up anti-insurgency protesters and shooters.
At least 54 people have been killed in protests, according to the UN, although activists say the number is much higher. A total of 1,939 people have been arrested, charged or sentenced since the uprising, the APP said.
The offices of Myanmar media outlets Mizima and Kamyut Media were raided by security forces on Tuesday afternoon, the editors of the publications told Myanmar Now.
No staff at Mizima was detained, but a family member said security forces arrested the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Kamyut.
The founder of Myanmar Now said his own offices were raided on Monday. Myanmar Now and Mizima are among the five media outlets whose publishing licenses have been stripped.
“They seized computers, seized printers and parts of the newsroom’s data servers,” Leigh said, adding that no one was in the fees at the time nor was the uprising later.
“Obviously it was done in a very public way, the witnesses saw the security forces in the office building building, and there was a demonstration of force trying to send a message,” he said.
CNN’s Sophie Jeong and Pauline Woodwood contributed to the reporting.
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