Buthidaung, Arakan State: Officers of the Burmese Army Battalion No.552 looted goods from a shopkeeper in Buthidaung Township and the shop owner was severely tortured for asking for money from them on August 6, said a close relative of the victim who declined to be named.

The victim was identified as Baser (38), son of Mahabul Bhoser, from Ward No. 10 of Kyee Nyut Thee village of Taung Bazaar area of Buthidaung Township.

He owns a consumer goods shop in Taung Bazaar market on line No. 3 and his shop is No.1.

On August 6 Captain Zaw Moe Hin and Captain Tun Naing of Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) -552 went to his shop and took some goods from his shop. They only paid some money to the shopkeeper. The owner asked for the rest. The irate officers severely tortured him and destroyed a cupboard made of glass and mirror, said a shopkeeper.  

After that they took some other goods from the shop and left for their camp.  Captain Zaw Moe Hin is notorious. He was temporarily handed charge of the Battalion by the Battalion Commander Lt Col Kyaw Thura, while on duty in Maungdaw Township for fence construction on the Burma-Bangladesh border.

The army and Nasaka in Buthidaung Township extort money from villagers after arrest on false and fabricated charges, said a village elder.