Families of Ramree men arrested by military worry over safety of detainees

By Hnin Nwe 18 Jul 2020

Hnin Nwe | DMG
18 July, Sittwe

 The families of five Ramree Township men arrested by the Tatmadaw are concerned for the detainees’ safety after one of their peers died in military custody last week.

The Tatmadaw True News Information Team released a statement on July 15 saying the military arrested six men from Alae Chaung village in Ramree Township on July 13, and that the suspects were being interrogated at the Maei Myoma police station. 

The military’s public relations outfit said one of the men, U Soe Myint Tun, hanged himself while in detention on the evening of July 13. 

But Police Major Soe Myint Tun, head of the Taungup Township Police, denied that the victim had died at the police station.

“I am worried about the safety of my son because I don’t know where they are detained. My brother-in-law died with injuries to his head and neck, and a gunshot wound to his left hand,” said U Kyaw Hlaing, the father of detainee Ko Nyein Chan, referring to the detainee who died by hanging last week. “So I am concerned for the safety of the detainees because they could be killed. They may be tortured.” 

Family members want the detainees to be afforded due process under the law. 

“For me, I would like to ask the military to hand over the detainees to the police and open a case against them in accordance with the law,” U Kyaw Hlaing told DMG. 

On July 15, Upper House MP Daw Htoot May wrote a post on her Facebook account saying the case of the six detainees from Alae Chaung village was presented to respective government ministers.