Myanmar military accused of detaining, beating Kyauktaw Twsp student

By Khin Tharaphy Oo 23 Dec 2020

Khin Tharaphy Oo | DMG
23 December 2020, Sittwe

Myanmar military personnel allegedly detained and beat an 11th grade student in Arakan State’s Kyauktaw Township on Tuesday, releasing him the same evening.

Aung Nay Win, 18, was taken by two Tatmadaw soldiers from his home in Apaukwa village to troops stationed nearby, at about 6 p.m. on December 22, said his father U Thein Tun, who is the manager of the bus terminal at Apaukwa, which is located along the Yangon-Sittwe road.

“The soldiers asked him whose son he is. When they found out that he is the son of the bus terminal manager, they asked him to come out of the house,” said U Thein Tun.

“They started to beat him once he got out. His face was badly injured. And he was also hit on his head. My son said they asked him for his service number. They continued to beat him though he said he is just a student.”

Aung Nay Win was questioned for more than an hour and was released around 8 p.m. the same evening. He received treatment for injuries at the hospital on Wednesday morning.

“It is mistreatment to take someone from his home and beat him. I wouldn’t complain if they beat someone for being drunk and disorderly on the streets. But they have gone too far in taking someone from his home and beating him,” said U Thein Tun.

DMG was unsuccessful in its attempts to contact Brigadier-General Ye Yint Aung of the Tatmadaw True News Information Team and Arakan State Security and Border Affairs Minister Colonel Min Than.

In northern Arakan State, civilians are often subjected to detention and questioning by the military on suspicion of having ties to the Arakan Army (AA). However, interrogations of the sort have been few and far between since November, as military tensions have eased in the region.

The military should avoid investigations and abuses at a time when locals — who have borne the brunt of the conflict in Arakan State over the past two years — are starting to regain a sense of security with the tentative Tatmadaw-AA ceasefire, said Lower House lawmaker U Oo Tun Win of Kyauktaw Township.

“People who had felt unsafe for such a long time have just started to have a small degree of security. While the two sides are trying to build understanding, no group should commit such things so as not to cause concerns for the people,” said the MP.

Thousands of internally displaced people (IDPs) have been returning to their homes from IDP camps in northern Arakan State as clashes have ceased since early November.