Win Myint Hlaing’s family have not heard from him since his arrest on Monday (Supplied)

His arrest came amid reports that people in Magway Region had been tortured into confessing he was a member of the PDF 

By Myanmar Now

An ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) MP was detained along with his brother on Monday and his family have not heard from either of the men since, the MP’s wife has said.

Win Myint Hlaing, 51, who represented Taungdwingyi Township in Magway’s regional legislature before the February coup, was detained in Yatsauk (Lawksawk)  in southern Shan State along with his brother Zaw Zaw.

The MP, who also goes by the name of Hlaing Hlaing, has been wanted by the junta since late February, when a warrant was issued for his arrest under Section 505a of the Penal Code, which punishes incitement.

His wife, 47, who asked not to be named, said she had not heard from her husband but hoped he would at least be treated according to proper procedures and allowed to stand trial.

“I just don’t want him to be tortured,” she said. “I hope he will go to trial in a lawful manner. It doesn’t even matter if he is sentenced to prison… I just hope everything is going to be carried out legally.” Her husband suffers from hypertension, she added.

On the day of his arrest, the military sealed off Win Myint Hlaing’s house in Taungdwingyi, the wife said.

The military council has not disclosed the men’s whereabouts.

A friend of Win Myint Hlaing, who wanted to remain anonymous, said he had heard from locals in Taungdwingyi that soldiers had detained and tortured people from the area to force them to accuse the MP of being a People’s Defence Force (PDF) member.

While Win Myint Hlaing was still on the run, police took his 80-year-old father, Soe Myint, to the local station for questioning on two occasions.

Over 400 NLD members, including 91 MPs, are now in junta custody, a member of the party’s central executive committee told Myanmar Now.

On Tuesday the ousted NLD chief minister for Karen State, Nang Khin Htwe Myint, was handed a 75-year prison sentence for multiple corruption charges.

Khin Maung Latt, the 58-year-old chairperson of the Pabedan branch of the NLD in Yangon, was killed in junta custody in early March. At least 65 others have died within 24-hours of being detained by junta forces since the coup, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners said.

The group’s tally as of Thursday said the junta has killed 1,253 civilians and arrested more than 10,000 in its bid to crush overwhelming public opposition to its rule.

Original Post: Myanmar Now