Relatives of five civilian detainees who were tortured by Tatmadaw soldiers on video have described meeting the “bloodied and bruised” men in prison.
Speaking to Myanmar Now, they said men, all civilians, sustained cuts, black eyes and swelling from the beatings, with one saying her son has not received medical attention for his wounds.
The five Rakhine state villagers have been in police and Tatmadaw custody since their arrests in Ponnagyun township in late April.
The military claims they have ties to the Arakan Army (AA), an armed ethnic group fighting for greater autonomy that the government has declared a terrorist organisation.
In three separate videos that went viral on Sunday, Tatmadaw soldiers are seen repeatedly beating the detainees, who were blindfolded and handcuffed.
The father of 27-year-old Maung Chay, a farmer, told Myanmar Now on Wednesday his son’s body was covered in bruises and he was complaining of rib pain.
Nyi Nyi Aung, 24, who worked at a local rice mill, told his mother, Ni Ni Aye, the beatings left him bleeding from his mouth and nose. “His ears are cut up as well. He’s been feeling better, but he received no medical treatment for his wounds,” Ni Ni Aye told Myanmar Now.
Soe Win, the brother of 38-year-old Min Soe, said his older brother’s eyes were blackened and swollen from the beatings.
The military admitted on Monday that Tatmadaw soldiers had used “unlawful interrogation” techniques. It said it would investigate the incident and “take action” against those involved.
Kyaw Win Hein, 22, is also struggling with ongoing pain from what his adopted father, Aung Tun Kyaing, described as blackened wounds on his face and head.
Aung Tun Kyaing said Kyaw Win Hein was supporting the family as a construction worker before he was detained.
The victims were among a group of 38 men from the Ponnagyun village of Kyauk Seik detained on April 19 by Light Infantry Battalion 550. All but five were released the following day.
The five in custody have been charged under anti-terrorism laws that carry life sentences.
“We are innocent, rural folks,” Ni Ni Aye said. “I want my son to be released.”
Aung Tun Kyaing also swore his son has never been involved with the AA.
The men are being held at a police station in Ponnagyun township, where their relatives visited them.
Last Friday they were taken to meet with a judge, who questioned how and why they were arrested, a relative told Myanmar Now.
Fighting between the AA and the military has raged since late 2018 and displaced more than 100,000 civilians. The government has blocked internet access in most of the affected villages to disrupt AA lines of communication.
The UN has decried the conflict’s mounting civilian casualties and decimation of property across ten townships. The military accuses the AA of exploiting local populations with guerrilla warfare and fear-and-intimidation tactics.
Myanmar’s military has a notorious history of human rights abuses. The country is on trial for genocide at the International Court of Justice over the military’s so-called “clearance operations” in 2017 that forced more than 730,000 Rohingya to flee to refugee camps in Bangladesh.
Myanmar is due to report back to the court later this month on efforts it has taken to protect the mostly Muslim minority.
