Oct 21, 2007 (DVB), Burmese government troops raided a house in Rangoon in the early hours of Friday morning and arrested the family of an 88 generation student member who lives in exile in the United States.

Daw San San Tin, the mother of student activist Ko Nyi Nyi, was arrested together with four other people during a raid by government troops on the family’s house in Tamwe township, Rangoon, in the early hours of Friday morning, according to neighbours.

Ko Nyi Nyi left Burma after the 8888 uprising and currently resides in the US.

The others who were arrested were identified as Ma Thet Thet Aung and Ma Noe Noe, nieces of Daw San San Tin, and Ko Ko Gyi and Ko Kyaw Swa, two guests who were staying at the house at the time.

Sources close to Daw San San Tin’s family told DVB that they assumed the arrest was linked to the family’s close relationship with 88 generation student leader Ko Htay Kywe, who was recently arrested.

Ma Thet Thet Aung’s mother and her husband were also arrested by authorities earlier this month when they were unable to take Ma Thet Thet Aung into custody, while the husband of Ma Noe Noe was arrested at the end of August.

Ko Nyi Nyi told DVB that he also thought the arrests were linked to the family's relationship with Ko Htay Kywe, and said he was concerned for his family's welfare.

"My mother has not been well as she has stomach problems. One of my cousins has hypertension and heart problem as well. I’m worried for them," he said.

"I think the government is making these arrests to try to scare off people who want to do the right thing to solve our country’s problems."

Reporting by Moe Aye