Ko Aung Kyaw Naing, also known as, Ko Par Gyi, has died and is already buried, according to news issued by the Ministry of Defence through the press council on 23rd October.

Ko Par Gyi was detained on 30th September by the army’s Light Infantry Battalion 208 in Mon State while he was covering the conflict between government troops and the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army, said Lawyer U Robert San Aung, who will help provide legal aid to Daw Thandar, the journalist’s wife.

According to the report, Ko Par Gyi tried to escape on 4th October by taking a gun and he was shot for this. Soldiers then buried the body.

On 19th October Daw Thandar came to the battalion base to make inquiries.

Uncertainty surrounds the case. Some witnesses claim they saw a group of army soldiers torturing an arrested man near the base around the time of the incident and assume it was him.

U Robert San Aung alleges Ko Par Gyi died of torture, according to an email sent to Mizzima.

U Robert San Aung said the military should hand over the body to his wife. She must have
a chance to bury her husband’s body in Yangon and the government must form a commission to investigate with a doctor and lawyer appointed by his wife.

He said: “He is a journalist and ethnic Karen. So proceeding like this will affect the peace process.

“They said they arrested him on 30th September and according the law he cannot be held for more than 24 hours without charge.