Two village administrative officials were savagely tortured and interrogated by the Military Council and prosecuted under Article 17(1) for contacting unlawful associations.

The two administrative officials detained by the Military Council are 66-year old Daingnet ethnic U Oo Kyaw Hla, the administrative official from Tatminchaung Village and 60-year old U Hamate Tusaung, the administrative official from Mikyaungzay Muslim Village.

After the two administrative officials were transferred to the Border Police Battalion 13, family members were allowed to visit. Both had injuries all over their bodies and were in pain, family members told Narinjara.

“When the army informed us that they had been handed over to the police, we went to meet them. They were severely tortured. Actually, such cruelty became the custom of the army. In fact, both detainees are over 60 years old. Their whole body was bruised and swollen. They were very painful. It was very stressful to see it. Right now, I don't want to talk about karma anymore”, a family member said.

The officials were arrested without release after they were invited along with 10 other local administrative officials to meet the Military Council commanders from the Military Battalion 234 based in Buthidaung Township on September 3.

“All 12 village administrative officials were invited on September 3 and spent the night in the army as detainees. The rest were released the next day, but the two remained in custody. We did not receive any contact until last September 28. On September 29, at around 5:00 PM, they were transferred to Buthidaung Border Guard Police Battalion 13, and then the police contacted us”, the family member also explained.

The two were handed over to the police after they were forced to admit that they had been paying subsidies to the Arakan Army (AA).

"On September 29, they were transferred to Border Guard Police. On September 30, they were remanded at the Buthidaung Township Court. Another court date was scheduled for October 14," the family member added.

When handing the two administrative officials to the police, the Military accused them as the supporters of AA and instructed the police to prosecute them under Article 17(1).

The rest of the village administrative officials in Buthidaung Township are also worried about two of their colleagues being invited to attend the meeting, arrested, tortured and prosecuted by the Military.