Sources close to the film industry told DVB that Myanmar film star Phway Phway, a three-time Myanmar Academy Award winning actress, was detained and questioned for not responding to a Ministry of Information request to participate in activities promoting the regime’s 2025-26 elections on Wednesday.
A source close to the Myanmar film industry confirmed to DVB that Phway Phway, 37, was detained for questioning by police during a film shoot in Pyin Oo Lwin, Mandalay Region, on Nov. 5.
Kyaw Myo Min, the founder and editor-in-chief of the pro-military media outlet NP News, wrote that the regime’s ministry instructed Phway Phway and A Lin Yaung, who is a Myanmar Academy Award nominated actor, to respond to their request by Nov. 5.
He claimed that they did not respond to the ministry and thus were detained.
Phway Phway was reportedly released from detention on Nov. 6 but A Lin Yaung is reportedly still in detention. DVB contacted Phway Phway and A Lin Yaung to request more information about their ordeal but received no response.
The Information and Public Relations Department under the regime ministry told artists at the Myanmar Motion Picture Organization in Yangon on Oct. 31 that actions will be taken if they failed to cooperate in election campaign activities.
A source told DVB on the condition of anonymity that film stars Pyay Ti Oo and Eaindra Kyaw Zin – a couple who are well-known for their opposition to the 2021 military coup and had arrest warrants issued by the regime under Section 505 (A) of the Penal Code — are set to star in election campaign videos.
Film directors Mee Pwar, Wyne, and Win Lwin Htet, have already created videos for the regime elections. The source added that actor-director Lu Min also has agreed to direct future election campaign videos.
This restriction followed the arrest of three film directors and two actors on Oct. 31, for allegedly criticizing an election campaign video created and shared to social media by the Union Election Commission (UEC) on Oct. 28 – the first day of campaigning for political parties.
Resistance forces in Yangon claimed that it will take actions against cast members in the election campaign video released by the UEC and called on citizens to boycott their films.
At least 102 citizens have been charged under the Election Protection Law, which was enacted on July 29, for “disrupting the elections” by sharing critical comments about the regime’s 2025-26 elections on social media.
The three-phased elections are scheduled to begin on Dec. 28 and continue into January 2026. A total of 83 men and five women had been charged under the Election Protection Law up to Oct. 29, according to the regime.
Anyone convicted of violating the law can face a minimum sentence of three years in prison and a maximum sentence of death.
Data for Myanmar, a research organization, has documented that at least 1,993 citizens have been arrested for criticizing the military on social media and expressing support for anti-military groups since February 2022.
The National Unity Government (NUG), a group of elected lawmakers ousted in the 2021 coup, called on citizens to reject the polls.
The ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) party called on the international community not to recognize the regime’s “sham” elections.
Ethnic armed organizations, including the Karen National Union (KNU) and the Arakan Army (AA), oppose the regime’s elections and will not allow polls to be conducted in territory under its control.
