Funeral of accused villager held in Mrauk-U

25 Jun 2019

Khaing Roe La/ DMG

25 June, Mrauk-U

The body of  a villager who died during a Tatmadaw interrogation on suspicion of affiliations with the Arakan Army was laid to rest in a tomb at a cemetery in Mrauk-U Township on the evening of 25 June.

Eight men including four villagers from Pauk Taw Pyin village were arrested by the Tatmadaw near Waythali village in Mrauk-U Township on 20 June, and Ko Nay Myo Tun, one of the four detainees from Pauk Taw Pyin village, died during interrogations.

“His funeral was held at Minthagyun cemetery where his body is now entombed. About 300 people attended the funeral. I saw people from ANP,” said U Than Tun, an assistant from Yadanapa free funeral service.

The Tatmadaw sent the body of Ko Nay Myo Tun to Kyauktaw hospital on 24 June, said Ko Kyaw Hla Myint, an activist from Kyauktaw Township, quoting the comment of the officials from Kyauktaw police station.

“According to the township police station, the military sent the body to the hospital,” he said.

Ko Nay Myo Tun was a carpenter and living in Pauk Taw Pyin village with his family for five months. He was sculpturing a Buddha image in Waythali village.

“He was working as carpenter at the pagoda in Waythali village. He was arrested on the way to the village for lunch,” said a villager from Pauk Taw Pyin.

For detailed information about Ko Nay Myo Tun’s death, the DMG tried many times to seek comment from Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun and Brig-Gen Tun Tun Nyi from the Tatmadaw True News Information Team and Colonel Win Zaw Oo from the Western Command, but they could not be reached. 

A military troop conducting regional security operations in Mrauk-U Township found suspicious looking people around Waythali village and arrested eight people in total on the afternoon of 20 June, the Tatmadaw said. The villagers come from different villages that include Makyarsi, Buywet Manyo, Oak Poe Kan and Done Thane villages. Four men are from Pauk Taw Phyin village, they were sent to Kyauktaw Myoma police station for questioning on suspicion of members of the AA, it said.