Security beefed up in Taungup ahead of Suu Kyi’s birthday

Taungup (Narinjara): Security in Taungup, a town located in southern Arakan State, was beefed up today with the deployment of many additional police personnel at key places in the town, according to an activist.

“It is related to Daw Suu Kyi’s birthday. The security was beefed up after a rumour started circulating that the NLD Taungup Township was preparing to celebrate the 64th birthday of Suu Kyi in the town on June 19,” he said.

The local authorities deployed additional police force at some key places, including township Mayaka office, Phoundaw oo Pagoda and the main market.

In addition, some plainclothes intelligence personnel are closely watching politicians and activists, who were involved in the last anti government protests in the town.

A woman in the town said, “NLD Taungup Township celebrates Daw Suu Kyi’s birthday every year and the authority imagines this year also NLD Taungup Township will commemorate the ceremony. So the authorities have beefed up security in the town from today.”

Taungup is an active town for the Burmese democratic movement and many protests have taken place in the town during the Saffron Revolution in 2007.

Due to their active participation in the Saffron Revolution, the authorities arrested many leaders from the town, including prominent politician, Ko Min Aung, Moe Nay Soe and Ma Ni Ni May Myint and punished them with long prison terms. Many of them are now serving their prison terms, in Buthidaung Prison bordering Bangladesh.

However, the leaders of NLD Taungup Township are still carrying on their activities for the democratic movement without giving up.