Fear rises in Myanmar as 2nd NLD member dies in military detention

Another leader from Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi's party has died in military detention after being allegedly tortured in custody, according to a watchdog group.

This has raised fear among people towards military detention, which is aggressively cracking down on anti-coup protesters.

According to the CNN, the deaths have raised concerns about the condition and treatment detainees are receiving in detention. Since the military seized power in a coup on February 1, security forces quickly moved to stifle dissent and arrested government officials, protesters, journalists, civil servants and NGO workers and repressed independent media.

The report also mentioned the notorious night-time raids that have been picking up people without further notice. "Human Rights Watch said that people who are forcibly disappeared are more likely to be subjected to torture or ill-treatment than others arrested."

Watchdog group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) released a statement saying "Zaw Myat Lynn, who was head of an educational institute, was announced dead today from injuries consistent with torture following an arbitrary nighttime raid."

However, the exact cause of death is still unknown but AAPP added "Zaw Myat Lynn was subjected to beatings".

According to the CNN report, shortly before his arrest, Lynn posted a livestream on Facebook in which he said, "I want to encourage all citizens across the country that we will be protesting day and night for 24 hours against the dictatorship." In his post he urged people to continue fighting the army, saying "we will risk our lives to defeat them."

His message resonated, "We are showing to the international communities including UN and other agencies that we, citizens of Myanmar, want democracy and we value democracy as the most precious thing in our lives."

Lynn's death follows the death of Yangon NLD party chairman Khin Maung Latt, who died while in custody last Saturday. Rights groups, led by coup leader General Min Aung Hlaing, have called on the military junta to promptly and impartially investigate the deaths.

"Myanmar's junta runs the security forces and can quickly find out who killed Khin Maung Latt if they want to," Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement to the CNN. "If they want to show they believe in the rule of law, all those responsible should be held to account. Sadly, Myanmar's security forces seem intent on using nighttime raids and brutal mistreatment to create fear and break popular resistance to military rule."

The situation in Myanmar has worsened since the military seized power, detaining state counsellor Suu Kyi and forming a new junta to run the country. For more than a month, thousands of protesters across Myanmar have turned out daily to resist the military rule.Security forces have responded with increasing violence and brutality, the CNN report read.

Witnesses have reported extrajudicial killings, while footage and photographs show police and the military shooting dead anti-coup protesters and beating detainees. More than 1000 death have been recorded in the protest according to the UN. "AAPP said 1,939 people have been arrested, charged or sentenced since the coup."

The offices of Myanmar media outlets Mizzima and Kamayut Media were raided by security forces Tuesday afternoon, the publications' editors told Myanmar Now, CNN quoted sources as saying.

( With inputs from ANI )