A staff member of Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV) under the Ministry of Information in Naypyidaw, Ma Hnin Yee Phyu, has been arrested by the military council for participating in the flower strike commemorating Aung San Suu Kyi’s 80th birthday and posting birthday wishes on social media. On June 19, Hnin Yee Phyu participated in the flower strike marking Aung San Suu Kyi’s birthday and shared photos of her participation along with birthday wishes on her social media account.
Hnin Yee Phyu wrote on social media, ‘Happy Birthday Mother Suu, may you have long life and good health, may you be free from the suffering of separation from loved ones in all future lives, and may you meet only good people.’ Following her post, pro-military Telegram groups began calling for her arrest. On June 21 at around 8 PM, military and police forces arrested Hnin Yee Phyu at her residence in the MRTV staff housing complex in Tatkon Township, Naypyidaw.
During the arrest, the military council confiscated her mobile phones and seized control of her social media accounts. When she became aware of the military’s instigation against her, she attempted to delete her birthday wish post, but was arrested before she could do so. The military council’s newspapers have accused Hnin Yee Phyu of attempting to destabilize state peace and tranquility and disrupt government machinery through her actions of incitement and propaganda.
Currently, pro-military Telegram groups continue to instigate arrests of other civil servants, civilians, and students who participated in the flower strike. While the flower strike commemorating Aung San Suu Kyi’s birthday represents a peaceful demonstration of the Myanmar people’s democratic movement and opposition to military dictatorship, activists point out that the military council continues to suppress and arrest participants. The military’s response to this peaceful form of protest demonstrates their ongoing oppression of civilian expressions of democratic support, according to democracy activists monitoring the situation.
