Notices in state-owned newspapers announcing families have cut ties with their anti-coup relatives have become a frequent occurrence in Myanmar, reports the South China Morning Post. It follows the junta targeting families of opposition activists, with the army saying it would seize properties and arrest anyone sheltering protesters.
“Family members are scared to be implicated in crimes,” said Wai Hnin Pwint Thon, senior advocacy officer at Burma Campaign UK. “They don’t want to be arrested, and they don’t want to be in trouble.” But, she said of the disowning notices: “Unless they do it properly with lawyers and a will, then these things don’t really count legally. After a couple of years, they can go back to being family.”