Burma’s military junta arrested model and actor Paing Takhon on Thursday (04/08/2021) on charges of inciting violence by publicly showing his support for the protests against the military coup on February 1.
The popular 24-year-old model was arrested early in the morning at his home in Rangoon by security forces, his manager Yee Mon Kyaw reported. “He was very ill at this time so we could not transfer him to another place for his safety. Please talk about him and pray for his safety,” the agent said on Facebook.
Paing Takhon, who participated in demonstrations in opposition to the military and has openly shown his support for dissent on social media, is among the list of more than 100 public figures on whom the military junta has recently issued an arrest warrant.
Charged for “destabilizing the country”
The military accuse these relevant figures, among which are journalists, of trying to destabilize the country through messages on social networks and publish propaganda in favor of the group of elected parliamentarians that calls itself a “legitimate government”, described as ” illegal “by the military junta.
Paing Takhon, who had 1.2 million followers on Instagram before his profile was deleted in the last hours, is one of the best-known faces in show business who has been arrested after the coup on February 1 .
Last Tuesday the popular Burmese comedian and actor Zarganar, 60, who had already been a political prisoner during previous governments of the military junta, was arrested on the same charges.
Demonstration continues despite repression
Despite the brutal repression exerted by the police and soldiers, in which at least 598 people have died according to the Association for the Assistance of Political Prisoners (AAPP) – including 12 on Wednesday – the demonstrations against the coup they continue throughout the country.
Since the uprising and until Wednesday, the authorities have detained at least 3,577 people, of whom 2,847 remain in custody, including the deposed head of government, Aung San Suu Kyi, AAPP notes.
The uniformed men justify the coup for an alleged electoral fraud in the elections of last November, in which Suu Kyi’s party destroyed, as it did in 2015; elections that were considered legitimate by international observers.
jc (efe, reuters)
– .
