A resident of Mogok in Mandalay Region said that he is concerned about the health of his 17-year-old daughter, who has been detained since a failed bid to arrest him more than three weeks ago.
Soe Htay, who has been charged with incitement under Section 505a of the Penal Code, said he learned about his daughter’s condition through a person with connections to the place where she is being held.
“I was notified through a text that she’s in a bad shape and that it is life-threatening,” he told Myanmar Now.
“They said that it was partly because of some underlying health conditions and also because of the interrogation she has been subjected to,” he added.
Myanmar Now tried to contact Mogok’s central police station to inquire about the detained minor’s medical condition, but its calls went unanswered.
Soe Htay’s 44-year-old wife and their two daughters, Theint Sandi Soe and five-year-old Su Htet Wine, were taken into custody by the military on June 13 following a failed attempt to locate him. The younger girl was released on June 30.
Soe Htay said he didn’t know if his wife and daughter were being held together. He added that Theint Sandi Soe suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, for which she received weekly treatment before her arrest.
“Her joints ache when it’s cold. I heard that she was handcuffed on the stone floor with her arms up for two to three hours during interrogations. I think that’s what has made her condition much worse,” he said.
Family members have been denied permission to meet with the detainees or send them supplies, including medication. Prison authorities have also withheld medical treatment, sources told Myanmar Now.
“My daughter is a third-year law student. I know she can get through these hardships, because she has a strong mind. She’s read a lot and she’s a great writer,” said Soe Htay.
Soe Htay’s two sons, aged 15 and 24, remain in hiding with him.
Myanmar’s military routinely targets the families of individuals opposed to its rule, in some cases detaining the children or elderly relatives of those who manage to evade arrest.
On Sunday, the junta arrested the father and grandfather of anti-coup activist Pyi Bhone Pai in Paungde, Bago Region. Both were later released.
