The Burmese Army Captain who attempted to rape two women last month in southern Chin state, western Burma is said to have compensated the women monetarily. The money for compensation was allegedly extorted from travellers.
Captain Khant Kyaw from LIB (304) stationed in Lailenpi village in Matupi Township is said to have compensated Kyat 200,000 (Burmese currency) to the two women after a women's group from Lailenpi vowed to file a case in Hakha, capital of Chin state where the tactical commander is stationed, according to villagers from Lailenpi.
On August 10, Captain Khant Kyaw on patrol duty came across a woman named Daw Si Si (66) and her daughter (27) in the jungle on the way to a farm in Lailenpi village. The Captain told the soldiers to proceed.
After the soldiers left the Captain asked Daw Si Si and her daughter to undress at gunpoint and allegedly tried to rape them. With the two women resisting, the Captain opened fire twice in the air.
Hearing the gunshots the soldiers rushed back. The Captain abandoned his devious plan to rape the two women, according to Daw Si Si.
An angry women's group in Lailenpi reported the rape attempt to the camp commander.
Initially, Captain Khant Kyaw kept denying that he had tried to rape them. However, the women's group pledged to take up the case in Hakha.
Afraid of being reported to Hakha, the Captain compensated the two women with the money collected from travellers who put up in Lailenpi village without reporting to the village council.
"At nights after the incident, the soldiers led by the Captain searched for guests in the village. They picked up two guests from Matupi town who failed to report their presence to the village council office," said a villager.
"Initially, the soldiers didn't find anything in the bags of the two guests. But later, the soldiers claimed that they found a package of sodium nitrate (chemical powder used in explosives) from the arrested guests," he added.
The arrested guests were released after soldiers fined them Kyat 80,000. The landlord was fined Kyat 20,000, a villager added.
According to villagers, the two arrested guests from Matupi did not have a packet of sodium nitrate powder. They were falsely implicated by the soldiers to extort money for the compensation.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that school girls from ladies hostels in Lailenpi village are frightened of Captain Khant Kyaw as he tucks a pistol on his waist and visits the hostels at midnight.
"Some school girls in the hostel dare not stay, afraid as they are of the Captain," a villager said.
Captain Khant Kyat is also notorious for arresting cow smugglers from Chin state operating in neighboiring Mizoram state in northeast India. He extorts money from them.
