Proposal to return bodies of detained villagers endorsed by state parliament

By Khaing Roe La 08 May 2019

Khaing Roe La/ DMG

May 8, Sittwe

The Arakan State parliament endorsed the proposal urging the government to return bodies of people who died during interrogations to their family members after receiving unanimous support in the parliament.

During the discussion of the proposal on May 8, Arakan State minister U Aung Kyaw Zan said that a funeral service for three people from Letka village who died during the Tatmadaw’s interrogation was conducted in accord with the Buddhist funeral rites.

“The Tatmadaw tried to return the bodies of the villagers to family members, but could not contact them so the funeral was conducted according to the Buddhist funeral rites,” he said.

The Tatmadaw detained 27 people from Letka village in Mrauk-U Township for questioning on suspicion of having connections with the AA, three detained villagers died during interrogations.

The Tatmadaw said that one villager died of a heart attack, another one hung himself and the third one died from drug withdrawal symptoms.

However, their family members said that they doubted the Tatmadaw because they could not see the bodies of the detained villagers after their immediate deaths.

Thus, U Tun Tha Sein, state parliament representative for Mrauk-U Township, submitted the proposal in the Arakan State Parliament on May 2 to return the bodies of detained villagers who died during interrogations.

Four MPs discussed in the parliament session supported the proposal and U Aung Kyaw Zan presented the record to the proposal.

U Poe San, member of state parliament for Kyauk Phyu Township, said: “I must ask if there are any laws that entitle relevant authorities to return bodies after performing post-mortem examinations. Murder and hiding corpses are serious offences. Those who commit such acts should have legal action taken against them in accordance to the law.”  

U Aung Win, state parliament representative for Myaybon Township, said that he wanted to know if authorities are allowed questioning suspected people till death although he accepted detention and questioning on suspicion.

“It is their duty to detain suspected people for questioning and punish offenders. But, I want to ask if suspected people are all Arakanese people in the Arakan State. We do not want to make any comment on normal death during interrogation. But, I want to raise question if authorities are entitled to interrogate suspect person till death,” he said in the parliament session.

U Tun Aung Thein, MP from Buthidaung Township, said that transferring bodies of villagers to police rather than returning to their family members raised doubt about their death.

“Family members would think why they did not return the body of our family member. Did they commit something on our family member, they might raise doubt,” he said.