KBC youth pastor Mading Zaidan Bawm Ying said he will continue to fight for justice after he was assaulted by a group of soldiers from the Border Guard Forces (BGF) Battalion No 1003 from Kampaiti Road in the Kachin State and unlawfully detained in jail for one day.
When KBC Waingmaw Zone youth pastor Zaidan Bawm Ying was assaulted in front of his home in Sadon Sub-Township on July 31, his wife Daw Ywal San and Sadon Par KBC pastor Lagyi Naw Awn were also assaulted by the BGF soldiers for intervening.
When the officials from the KBC Waingmaw Zone office negotiated with BGF Battalion No 1003’s commander Wanghte Brang Awng at Sadon Par KBC on August 3, they demanded the BGF to sign a pledge not to commit similar act against Sayar Bawm Ying and the BGF told them to have Sayar Bawm Ying settle the case against them.
However, the BGF did not sign the pledge and circulated wrong news where they claimed that the KBC leaders came to apologize to the BGF after Sayar Bawm Ying left after reaching a settlement, Sayar Bawm Ying said.
The BGF soldiers started assaulting Sayar Bawn Ying and detained him in jail for one day after they got in a dispute over the drain cleaning operation in Sadon town.
“I clearly remember the first two punches. I don’t remember the rest because everyone was punching me. Then, I was taken to the street and punched again. They didn’t have handcuffs so they tied me up with a rope and took me to jail. They beat up again there. They kicked my face with their feet. Then, they beat me with a stick and put me in the cell,” Sayar Bawm Ying said as he recounted his experience.
The assault was led Warrant Officer Class 2 Wasuk Dau Hkawng from the BGF Battalion No 1003 and the BGF told the Eternally Peace Network (EPN) that he was only detained in the line of duty. The EPN is owned by the BGF, which was transformed from the New Democratic Army – Kachin (NDA-K) led by U Zahkung Ting Ying.
“His hands were tied because he acted without respect. He didn’t allow us to arrest him. So there was a commotion. They said we assaulted him first. When we arrest someone, we don’t arrest him using our feet. We arrest using our hands,” the BGF told EPN.
KBC Waingmaw Zone office said everything has been settled after holding a sermon with both sides in accordance with Kachin tradition.
However, Sayar Bawm Ying is still waiting for the BGF to sign the pledge to prevent them from committing another lawless assault against civilians.
