The Burmese military junta is yet to take action against the policemen who beat up and badly injured an innocent Kachin student leader on the head in Burma’s Northern Kachin State, said sources close to the injured student.Lahtaw La Ja, final year Mathematics major and General Secretary of intra-school Kachin Literature and Culture, also called Jinghpaw Laili Laika hte Htunghking Hpung (JLH) in Kachin in Bhamo University was severely injured on his head after being beaten up by policemen at a night concert in Myitkyina the capital of Kachin State during the 62nd anniversary of Kachin State on January 10, said La Ja’s colleagues.
The incident occurred around 11:30 p.m. local time at the Kachin National Manau Park in Shatapru quarter where La Ja and his JLH colleagues were watching the night concert of the Manau festival. Policemen suddenly appeared and hit the student leader without asking a single question, added La Ja’s colleagues.
“Policemen ran over to us and beat him without any reason,” said La Ja’s colleague, an eyewitness.
Kachin students in Bhamo University said La Ja was elected General Secretary of Kachin Literature and Cultural Group in 2009.
Students’ sources said, La Ja was beaten and badly injured on his head by policemen in Myitkyina. No case was registered. There was just an apology from a police officer.
There are No. 1 and No. 2 police stations in Myitkyina city but the policemen who beat La Ja and their police station have not been identified.
A student eyewitness told KNG, “Policemen clashed with local gangs that night. When they were unable to arrest anyone, they were angry and started beating whoever they saw”.
Given the negligence of the city police and military authorities in the case, Kachin university students and La Ja are unhappy. However, they will not file a legal suit against the policemen. This is because he is worried that it will backfire rather than help, according to students.
“He is feeling sad and angry but he cannot do anything because he is afraid of further negative fallout instead of getting justice from the military authorities,” added a friend of La Ja at the university.
The largest Kachin cultural Manau dance festival on the anniversary of Kachin State Day was held from January 5 to 11 and ended in unhappiness among participants because the celebrations were disturbed and restricted in several ways by the Burmese junta, according to participants.
