Retired Major General Supplying Food to Logistics Unit Arrested on Expressway, Ransom of 50 Million Kyats Demanded

A retired Major General, Thein Zaw Oo, who was supplying rice to a logistics unit of the State Administration Council's military, has been arrested on the Mandalay-Naypyidaw expressway and is reportedly being demanded a ransom of 50 million kyats. Thein Zaw Oo, who was handling rice procurement for Logistics Regiment-121 under the Central Military Command (Nann Twin), was arrested on the night of June 17, as he was leaving Mandalay city, near mile marker 320 on the Mandalay-Naypyidaw expressway, according to a telegram received. "It has been exactly 10 days since this incident. I will inform you if I find out whether the demand of 50 million kyats was a conspiracy with his wife or a fabricated story due to losing at football," said CDM Major General Zin Yaw to the Irrawaddy Times. It is known that retired Major General Thein Zaw Oo was a member and an Executive Committee (EC) member of the veterans' association in Chanmyathazi Township, under the Mandalay Region Veterans' Supervision Committee. He had been out of contact with the veterans' association since June 1, and his last contact was on June 14, when he was reportedly handling rice procurement at Logistics Regiment-121 in Nann Twin. His wife, Daw Nilar Aung, has received a video file of retired Major General Thein Zaw Oo's arrest, and the arresting party has informed her to come and collect him for 50 million kyats. When his wife informed the veterans' association about her husband's arrest, retired Major General Kyaw Soe, chairman of the Chanmyathazi Township Veterans' Association, reported the matter to higher authorities. Detailed follow-up information regarding which armed group arrested and detained the retired Major General, and his current whereabouts, has not yet been independently confirmed. Photo caption: Retired Major General Thein Zaw Oo