IDP man hospitalised in Sittwe after being tortured in military custody, family alleges

25 Nov 2022

DMG Newsroom
25 November 2022, Sittwe

An internally displaced person (IDP) from Buddhawmaw Monastery in the Arakan State capital Sittwe is currently receiving medical treatment after he was tortured during military interrogation, according to family members.

The 32-year-old man, identified as Ko Oo Htay Naing, was detained by about 20 junta soldiers on November 7. He was released after being held at a military interrogation site for about two weeks, his relatives told DMG.

“He was released on November 20. A police officer from Sittwe’s No. 1 police station phoned me about his release,” said Ma Yin Oo Than, a relative of Ko Oo Htay Naing.

“I was informed that he was admitted to Sittwe Hospital. He sustained injuries to his cheek, eyes and arms, and is unable to speak well,” she added.

Ko Oo Htay Naing is currently receiving treatment at Sittwe Hospital and is in need of financial assistance to cover the costs of his care, Ma Yin Oo Than told DMG.

“As we are IDPs, we face financial difficulties. He [Ko Oo Htay Naing] earns a living as an odd-job worker and needs money to receive medical treatment,” she explained.

Ko Oo Htay Naing, a resident of Pyaing Taing Village in Kyauktaw Township who has been sheltering at Buddhawmaw Monastery in Sittwe, was displaced by fighting between the military and Arakan Army (AA) in 2019.

He was arrested by junta soldiers after the head of the state’s Department of Fisheries was shot by unidentified gunmen at a restaurant in Sittwe on November 7.

DMG was unable to contact Arakan State Security and Border Affairs Minister Colonel Kyaw Thura to enquire about the matter.

At least 22 people from Arakan State died in military custody after being detained for alleged ties to the Arakan Army while the ethnic armed group was fighting against the military from 2018-2020.

Fighting has flared anew between the two sides, with clashes reported with regularity in Arakan State and neighbouring Paletwa Township, Chin State, since August. The resumption of hostilities has been accompanied by a spike in the number of civilians being detained by the military regime for alleged AA links.