NLD MP U Than Htay arrested
19 August 2004 (DVB) - U Than Htay, the elected representative of Lashio Township in northeast Burma was arrested by the local authority on Monday, 16th August.
According to his family member, U Than Htay was accused of selling illegal items at his electronic shop. The authority also arrested his son. The news was confirmed by another local resident in Lashio.
The local resident told DVB over the phone that U Than Htay was actually arrested for his political activities. U Than Htay has been pressured by the authority to resign from the NLD since the beginning of this year. When he refused, his private business activities were harassed and now, he is arrested, the local resident said.
Less than a week before he was arrested, DVB had interviewed with U Than Htay over the phone. At that time, he told DVB that they are the victims of the junta’s systematic persecutions on the NLD.
He is one of the leading members in the campaign spearheaded by the National League for Democracy (NLD) to collect signatures seeking the unconditional release of all Burmese political prisoners including NLD leaders Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and U Tin Oo. [Source: DVB]