Anjanapura child rape-murder case drags into second year without verdict

By Admin 01 Sep 2026

DMG Newsroom

1 September 2026, Anjanapura

Among child rape cases reported in areas controlled by the Arakan Army, the case in Pharpyo Village, Anjanapura Township, has drawn strong public interest, yet the victim's family reports that justice remains unserved after more than one year and five months.

On May 6, 2025, a nine-year-old girl in Pharpyo Village was raped and murdered, with her body left hanging from a tree.

The perpetrator was identified as 38-year-old U Maung Hla Than, a native of Ngapan Yekyun Village in Myebon Township who was residing in Pharpyo Village. He was arrested by the Department of Law Enforcement and Public Security (DLEPS) on May 7, the day after the crime.

According to the victim's family, all witnesses in the case have been examined and the perpetrator has been interrogated.

"We want the court to pass judgment as quickly as possible and immediately release the innocent people. We have been asking for this since the youths were taken. They have already been questioned in court and proven innocent. We want the seven innocent people released and the real perpetrator, Maung Hla Than, sentenced to death. I live hand-to-mouth. My daughter was brutally killed, and uninvolved people are being framed," a family member of the victim said.

Family members explained that prosecution witnesses have been examined, while interrogations of both the primary suspect and seven other detained suspects have been completed, putting the legal proceedings at the closing arguments stage.

Although the main suspect confessed in court to committing the crime alone, family members said the court has withheld a final verdict, citing insufficient evidence and continuing to grant the defence its legal rights, prolonging the trial.

DMG is currently trying to contact defence lawyers to clarify the legal status of the Pharpyo child rape case.

As trial delays persist, families of the seven detained suspects face severe financial strain from attending repeated court hearings.

"Maung Hla Than already confessed that he acted alone. Yet these youths are still being dragged into the case. The kids cannot take it anymore, and parents are exhausted. Each court appearance costs between K150,000 and K200,000. We even had to mortgage our house and land for K4 million," a family member of a detainee said.

Among the seven detainees are four students whose education has been disrupted by the ongoing legal proceedings.

Family members and local villagers maintain that all seven detainees, including the students, have no connection to the crime.

As the main perpetrator has already confessed, Pharpyo villagers are demanding an immediate verdict from the court.

"We want the real perpetrator held accountable and strongly object to innocent people being dragged into this. For the youths, their education is destroyed. For adults, their livelihoods are ruined, causing severe hardship for their families' basic survival. The case has dragged on for over a year from 2025 into 2026. Judicial officials investigating the case should consider the suffering of the detainees' families and deliver true justice swiftly," said Ko Maung Than Aye, deputy administrator of Pharpyo Village.

Pharpyo Village residents continue to question the judicial system over the prolonged failure to deliver a verdict.

Despite a rise in child rape, sexual assault, and murder cases across areas controlled by the Arakan Army in Arakan State, legal responses remain weak.

Of at least 13 sexual assault and murder cases reported this year, only a high-profile case in Aungseik Village, Ponnagyun Township, received a swift trial and sentencing.

Rising public criticism centers on instances where perpetrators remain at large or face delayed sentencing despite full confessions.

"Perpetrators escaping punishment or courts failing to pass judgment even when suspects confess point to major weaknesses in judicial and security administration. It could also stem from unqualified personnel. There is also a lack of transparency regarding penal statutes and judicial decisions. In the Ponnagyun case, the handcuffing issue caused public confusion, reflecting administration shortcomings," said a male human rights activist in Ann Township.

The United League of Arakan (ULA) previously stated that special courts have been established to hand down severe punishments for major crimes, including child rape, sexual violence, and murder, in areas controlled by the Arakan Army.

The ULA added that these courts are working to rapidly deliver appropriate sentences for perpetrators of sexual violence, child rape, and murder.

While the Arakan Army operates as a revolutionary government and builds administrative infrastructure, observers highlight ongoing challenges due to human resource shortages, inadequate facilities, and limited transparency.

The Institute for Strategy and Policy - Myanmar (ISP-Myanmar) noted that if the ULA fails to address these operational challenges, public trust in its judicial administration could erode over the long term.