Victims’ families await results of military investigation into Arakan State deaths in army custody

By DMG 03 Mar 2022

DMG Newsroom
3 March 2022, Sittwe

At least 22 people from Arakan State died in military custody after being detained for alleged ties to the Arakan Army (AA) while the ethnic armed group was fighting against the military from 2018-2020. In 2019, the Myanmar military said that it had formed a tribunal to probe those deaths, but some three years later, there are still no results from the investigation.

In response to mounting criticism about the growing tally of deaths in military custody, Myanmar’s military announced on July 12, 2019, that it would set up a tribunal to investigate.

However, the relatives of victims who were contacted by DMG said military tribunal investigators did not come to their villages. The families continue to call for justice for those who died in military detention.

“We want justice for them. But nothing has happened so far,” said the wife of a victim from Mrauk-U’s Lekka village.

More than 20 male residents of Lekka village were detained by the military in April 2019 on suspicion of having ties to the Arakan Army. Three of them died while they were being held by the military and family members were not allowed to see their bodies, according to one of the victims’ wives.

“The rest were brought to the police station, but three of them weren’t. We could not see their bodies. As their family members, we want to know what happened to them,” she said.

Ko Zaw Win Hlaing from Pauk Taw Pyin village in Mrauk-U Township was severely injured while in military detention, and died at Sittwe Hospital. He died from injuries sustained during torture, said his mother Daw Thein Nu Sein.

“He was arrested on his way back from work. And he was badly tortured in custody,” said Daw Thein Nu Sein. “We were not allowed to visit him. We were only allowed to visit him as he was on his deathbed at the hospital, vomiting blood. He was badly bruised all over his body.”

“Even then, the Tatmadaw [Myanmar’s military] denied responsibility. He suffered a lot before he died. I want senior [military] officials to know that, and bring justice for the family members,” she added.

Former lawmaker U Pe Than, who previously represented Arakan State’s Myebon Township in the Lower House of Parliament, said the military’s conduct deserved particular scrutiny during the most recent wartime period in Arakan State.

“What they [the military] always do is insist that those detained are the hardcore supporters of the Arakan Army, and that it was not wrong in arresting them. The Tatmadaw never admits that it was wrong to arrest innocent people. They always put blame on the people and defend themselves,” he said.

“If they are really willing to investigate, they have already had two years to do so. But they have done nothing till now, and so we can know that they said it perfunctorily.”

Myanmar’s military and the Arakan Army engaged in armed hostilities from December 2018 through October 2020. Many local residents were detained during that period by the military on suspicion of having AA ties.

At least 22 locals from Mrauk-U, Rathedaung and Minbya townships died in military custody over that period. Myanmar’s military has denied responsibility in every case.

DMG was unable to obtain comment from regime spokesman Major-General Zaw Min Tun about any progress regarding its investigation into those deaths.