Student hospitalized after alleged beating by DLEPS personnel in Rathedaung

By Admin 03 Nov 2026

DMG Newsroom

3 November 2026, Rathedaung

A seventh-grade student was hospitalized after being mistakenly identified as an accomplice to a thief and allegedly beaten by personnel from the Department of Law Enforcement and Public Security (DLEPS) in Rathedaung Township, Arakan State, according to local sources.

Maung Nay Kyaw Tun, a 14-year-old student and son of U Kyaw Nyein Oo from Cedipyin Village, was reportedly wrongfully detained and assaulted by DLEPS personnel during the second week of October.

"They beat him up thinking he was a thief," a female family member told DMG. "Only after realizing the boy was innocent did DLEPS personnel bring him back home. Fearing the severity of his injuries, we took him all the way to a clinic in Buthidaung Township for X-rays to check if any bones were fractured because the boy was in intense pain and terrified."

Although his injuries were not life-threatening, family members said the teenager remained severely traumatized by the incident.

The family refrained from filing a formal complaint after DLEPS officials apologized, but continued to face financial difficulties covering the student's medical treatment costs.

"During a previous theft at a store in Cedipyin Village, this boy helped the shopkeeper while a thief was stealing cigarettes and a mobile phone," a Cedipyin resident familiar with the incident said. "When that thief was later arrested, he retaliated out of malice by telling the police that Nay Kyaw Tun was his accomplice. DLEPS officers immediately sought out the boy, detained him, and beat him during interrogation. Fortunately, they eventually realized he was innocent and brought him home."

Local residents said Maung Nay Kyaw Tun had previously helped a crime victim in Cedipyin Village, making him the target of a grudge allegedly held by the actual perpetrator.

Residents expressed outrage over the alleged physical assault of a minor by DLEPS personnel without a proper investigation.

"They act harshly without investigating properly," a 32-year-old male resident of Rathedaung said. "Instead of fully protecting the public, they protect their own personnel. When an incident occurs, people are afraid to file complaints at the office because they fear suffering both physical harm and financial costs."

Residents across Arakan State said that although people routinely report general cases to DLEPS, victims often remain silent and are afraid to file complaints when law enforcement or department personnel are involved.

"This brutality stems from DLEPS's negligence and lack of proper verification," a local Arakanese youth said. "Assaulting and detaining a citizen based on unverified allegations without proof is outright cruelty. DLEPS must take full responsibility for the victimized boy. Beyond being falsely accused of theft, he was physically assaulted, so they must restore his dignity and ensure justice is served."

DMG attempted to contact the relevant DLEPS office for comment on the alleged assault in Rathedaung but was unable to establish communication.

The United League of Arakan (ULA) has established the Arakan Revolutionary Government across 14 townships in Arakan State and Paletwa Township to oversee judicial, public security, healthcare and administrative services, although institutional weaknesses and gaps in enforcement remain.