Burma Army torture leaves one man dead in Pa’an
Despite a ceasefire agreement between Burma’s military backed government and the Karen National Union (KNU) in January of this year, community based human rights organisation, Karen Human Rights Group continues to document attacks on civilians.
On June 25th, two men from Pa’an Township were accosted and then tortured by members of the Burma Army’s Border Guard Battalion #1014. The interrogation led to one of the men, aged 52, being beaten to death while the other, 67, was alive but left badly beaten.
Locals interviewed by members of the community based human rights organisation, the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), said the two men were heading to a village in Thaton District with 55,000 Kyatt (approximately $60) in money for a pregnant relative, when they were approached by members of the Burma Army battalion #1014 who accused them of being spies for the KNU.
“Saw R— was accused of being KNU intelligence.” One local villager from Thaton District said when interviewed on the 23rd of September, “Then, [the soldiers] pummeled, beat and killed [Saw R —] using sticks and guns.” Both of their names have been suppressed in order to protect their identity and that of their families.
The KHRG alleges that the two men were badly beaten and hit repeatedly with rifle butts until they were unconscious. One of the men died of his injuries on the same day.
KHRG supplied in the report two photos of the men with swollen, bloody faces, covered with lacerations and bruises. One of the men appeared to be deceased in the photos.
According to local sources, Border Guard Battalion #1014 is based in Gyo Pin Seik village in Pa’an Township, Thaton District. Local sources also said that the Battalion Commander is Bo Maung Chit and the Company Commander is Saw Tin Win. The soldiers who tortured the two men were from Saw Thaw Ma Na Company.
