Maungdaw: A villager from Maungdaw in western Burma's Arakan State has reportedly been denied medical treatment in the hospital for injuries he sustained from torture by the Burmese military intelligence, known locally as Sarapha.
The villager was identified as U Khin Maung Than from Mawrawady Village in Maungdaw Township.
"It was on the night of 17th December the Sarapha had arrested and inhumanly beat him because he was drunk and walking in the street. He was released the next morning at the request and promise by the village elders, but was not able to walk because of his injuries sustained from the beatings by the Sarapha personnel," said one of the victim's relatives.
"Despite his serious injuries, he was denied medical treatment at the hospital and were forced to give him treatment at home by the Sarapha officer with the threat of charges and arrest," they added.
The relative said the officer had also warned the elders and family members not to bring the case to higher authorities or any other law enforcement agencies.
A village elder said the villagers are angry with Sarapha for their inhumane torture on Khin Maung Than, but none of them dared complain of the incident to law enforcement or higher authorities.
"We do not dare to go directly and complain of this incident to the higher authorities or law enforcement because we are afraid of harassment and arbitrary arrests by Sarapha. That is why we reported this to the exiled media so that the higher authorities may hear our voices and protect us from that kind of brutality committed by the Sarapha in the future," said the elder.
He added that the medical condition of U Khin Maung Than has improved after being attended to by a private health worker in the village, but he is still unable to work. Narinjara also contacted U Khine Htun, the administrator of Mawrawady Village, but he refused to give any comment on the incident in his village.
