Aung San Suu Kyi aide arrested after saying Myanmar coup was 'not wise'

Just a few days after carrying out a coup that has sparked outrage and received criticism from several quarters, the Myanmar army has arrested a prominent aide of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Slew Of Arrests

This latest arrest is coming hot on the heels of the erstwhile Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Myanmar President Win Myint. Both were arrested and held on Monday after the military usurped the government and granted control of the country to army chief Min Aung Hlaing. The former leader is facing up to two years in jail. 

Win Htein left Naypyidaw on Thursday afternoon and went to Yangon, revealed a Facebook post by Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy's (NLD) verified Facebook page. 

“He was arrested from his daughter’s house where he was staying at midnight [in Yangon],” party press officer Kyi Toe said, adding he was being held in a Naypyidaw police station.

Not Wise

The 79-year-old Win Htein is no stranger to being the military's guest, having spent long stretches of time in detention in the past for advocating against military rule. 

Due to his unofficial status as Aung San Suu Kyi's right-hand man, he has often been sought out by both domestic and international media looking for insights as to the thought processes of Myanmar's leader. 

A few days prior to his arrest, he was quoted by English-language media as saying that the military intervention was "not wise" and that its leaders "have taken the country in the wrong direction".

"Everyone in the country should oppose as much as they can the actions they are seeking to take us back to zero by destroying our government,” he revealed to Frontier Myanmar in the immediate aftermath of the coup. 

A group based in Yangon that monitors political arrests in Myanmar, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, has observed that over 130 officials and lawmakers have been detained in relation to the coup.