Inquiry into detainees’ death face difficulties

27 Jun 2019

Min Tun | DMG

26 June, Sittwe

The Arakan State parliament has established an investigation commission to set up a probe into a case involving the deaths detainees during the Tatmadaw’s questioning at Kyauktan village in Rathedaung Township.

The parliament on 9 May tasked the committee for Security, Management and Rule of Law to conduct field investigations about a case in Kyauktan village that occurred on 29 April.

The team will have to report to the state parliament within 30 days of the assignment, but an extension has been requested for the investigation, said U Mya Than, deputy speaker of the Arakan State parliament.

“The investigation commission requested an extension for their inquiry. Now, we are holding an urgent meeting for the budget. When they submit their report, it will be in a regular session,” U Mya Than said.

“I think they will submit it in July. We have arranged to hold a regular session in the third week of July,” the deputy speaker said. 

The investigation commission had visited Kyauktan village, but the team needs to revisit the village in order to gather sufficient information, unfortunately poor transportation has hindered their endeavors recently.

U Tun Tha Sein, secretary of the Arakan State Hluttaw committee for Security, Management and Rule of Law, said: “The report is drafted. We need to go to the village for a second time to get ample information. But, a bridge on the road to the village was broken and under repair, after it’s repaired, we will go there again.”

He added that the commission will present the remarks of the detainees to know the actual situation.

On 2 May, the Tatmadaw had to fire guns during a melee that occurred while the Tatmadaw was questioning more than 200 men from Kyauktan village that were detained since 29 April on suspicion of affiliations with the AA, seven detainees died and eight others got injured. One of the injured also died while he was undergoing medical treatment.

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