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Alert

Three youths detained for four days, interrogated for allegedly distributing human rights pamphlets; missing blogger spotted in ministry office

(Mizzima/IFEX) - A Burmese writer and blogger, Nay Phone Latt, who has been missing since 29 January 2007, was spotted at the office of the Ministry of Home Affairs in Rangoon on 3 February 2008, said youth members of the pro-democracy party, National League for Democracy (NLD).

The NLD youth members - Thi Han, Nyi Nyi Min, and Htein Win - had been taken from their residences in the early morning of 1 February for interrogation at the Ministry for allegedly distributing pamphlets by the Asian Human Rights Council on how to report human rights violations.

"We saw Nay Myo Kyaw (Nay Phone Latt) with a woman at the Ministry of Home Affairs' office . . . But since we were far away, we did not have the chance to talk to him," one of the three NLD youths told Mizzima upon their release on 4 February.

A close friend of Nay Phone Latt, who wished to remain anonymous, told Mizzima that the Burmese blogger, who mysteriously disappeared on 29 January, might initially have been held at the Dagon police station and moved to the Ministry of Home Affairs on 2 February.

"We don't know what he was interrogated about, but what I heard is that he is being charged at the Dagon police station, though we don't know what the charge is," the close friend added.

However, the information could not be independently verified.

Family members said they fear that Nay Phone Latt might have been ill-treated or even tortured while in detention as the police officers, while searching his residences, swore at family members.