Aug 11, 2008 (DVB), U Myint Aye, a prominent member of the Human Rights Defenders and Promoters network, was arrested at his house in Kyi Myint Taing township on 8 August, according to his family.

U Myint Aye’s wife Ma Leh Leh said township police chief U Myat Linn and divisional investigation police deputy chief U Kyaw Htin, accompanied by ward authorities, arrived at the house at around 4pm on Friday, the 20th anniversary of the 1988 national uprising in Burma.

"They searched the house until around 6.30pm and then they took him away," said Ma Leh Leh.

"There was heavy rain that day and our house was yet not fully sheltered from it due to damage to the roof , but they thoroughly searched the whole house."

Leh Leh said the officials seized several items and documents belonging to U Myint Aye.

"They seized some appeal letters for donations sent to us by Cyclone Nargis victims , they usually send us these so that we know what they need," she said.

This was the eighth time U Myint Aye has been arrested and his whereabouts are still unknown, his wife said.

"They never let us know where he’s been taken, for what reason or how long will it be, even when we ask , I’ve got used to this and so I didn’t bother to ask them this time," Ma Leh Leh said.

She said Kyi Myint Taing police chief U Aung Ngwe Soe and the ward authorities came to their house again the next day and took some of U Myint Aye’s clothes.

Reporting by Yee May Aung