Nov 5, 2007 (DVB), Officials searching for All-Burmese Federation of Students' Unions member De Nyein Linn arrested a mentally ill man when they were unable to find De Nyein Linn at the man's house.

Thein Aye from Nagani estate in Bogone ward, Insein township, is 44 years old and suffers from mental illness.

He was arrested at around 2pm on 12 October when the Burmese authorities came to his house looking for De Nyein Linn, who is a close friend of the Thein Aye and his family.

Khin Kyi, Thein Aye's mother, told DVB that the officials arrested her son when they failed to find the ABFSU member.

"Government officials in civilian clothing armed with six-shooters and walkie-talkies came to the house and said they were military officers searching for De Nyein Linn. But when they did not find him as he was not hiding in our house, they took my mentally-ill son instead," Khin Kyi said.

The family has received no information about Thein Aye's whereabouts or condition since his arrest.

"[The arresting officers] said he would be released at around four that afternoon. That was about 23 days ago and my son is still missing," said Khin Kyi.

"I’m very worried for my son as he is mentally not well and his nonsense talks sometime may lead him to get beaten up to death. Even monks are getting arrested and mistreated these days and they don’t leave my son alone," she said.

De Nyein Linn has now been arrested and is also being detained.

Reporting by Htet Yazar