5 including volunteer and assistant director still detained by PDF
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Htet Nadi/Thant Zin (NP News) - July 12
A source familiar with the matter told the Statesman Journal that five people including a tree-planting volunteer and an assistant director who were arrested by the PDF group near Popa Hill in Kyaukpadaung Township, Mandalay Region, have not yet been released as of now.
The arrest took place on July 5 at around 2:00 pm near the Yay Nge Camp, Popa hill Road, Kyaukpadaung Township, and they have not been released as of today (July 11).
“We still haven’t heard anything from them. At first, it seemed like they were going to release them. But later, they said the case had gone viral online, so they still haven’t released them even up to today,” said a source familiar with the situation.
Among those arrested by the PDF group were four forest officials, including the assistant director of the Forest Department, and Ko Yaynathar Dingar, the head of the Yaynathar Dingar volunteer group, which is planting trees for charity in the Anyar area.
“Ko Dingar was also taken. Altogether, five people were taken. They were arrested around halfway up Mount Popa. You can get there along the concrete road. There’s a place called Yay Nge Camp there. If they were taken from that area, they were most likely brought to the back side of the mountain, towards the Naga-lain forest area. That’s the main route. It’s already been quite a long time since they were arrested,” he continued.
Currently, security forces are continuing their investigation to rescue the detainees.