Soldiers detain relatives of the 79-year-old former NLD chief minister who fought the junta with weaponry

Soldiers invaded the home of Mahn Johnny, the former regional chief minister of the National League for Democracy (NLD), on Sunday and detained his relatives after a Facebook website posted a photo of him clutching a big firearm and dressed in military fatigues.

The 79-year-old, who stated last week that he will fight the junta after receiving training in a rebel-held section of Karen State, told Myanmar Now that the military takeover on February 1 was a "heinous crime" that must be stopped.

On Sunday afternoon, a squad of roughly 20 soldiers from the 36th Light Infantry Battalion, supported by police and village informants, arrived at his residence in Kyonpyaw, Ayeyarwady Region.

They kept his son for a short time at a police station and have told his family that they are not permitted to leave their home.
According to a woman close to the family, they also seized three cellphones and a car.

She stated, "His family and friends here are concerned."
“All family members were warned by the military not to go anywhere and to contact them if they needed to go somewhere.”

On the same evening, soldiers stormed the local Nazareth Catholic Church near his home, according to a resident of Kyonpyaw.

According to neighbours, the residence is home to five of Mahn Johnny's relatives: two sons, two daughters-in-law, and a grandchild.

Tun Shwe, a deputy police commander in Ayeyarwady, claimed his department was unaware of the event that occurred on Sunday.