Seven people from Sittwe in Rakhine State, including a former administrative official, were beaten and arrested by the Military Council, and have been missing 5 days after they were detained.
At around 1:00 AM on October 14, the soldiers and police came to the Satyonsu Rescue area to check the overnight guest lists. After that they kicked opened the doors of the houses, beat and arrested seven people according to the family members. More than 20 Military Council soldiers raided their homes, and confiscated their phones.
More than 20 Military Council soldiers raided their homes, and confiscated their phones. The seven arrested are U Khin Maung Kyaw, a former administrative official of Satyonsu Ward; U Aung Than Win, U Than Kyaw Naing and U Tun Win Naing, who are locals from Satyonsu Rescue area, U Maung San Htay from Ywathayar Village and two others who came from faraway areas for medical treatment.
U Than Kyaw Naing said “We have no news about them. We did not dare to go to the police station. We are not even sure if they are still alive. Now we are all in great pain. Our living conditions are not good. Our husbands are masons and manual laborers. They had been arrested on charges of political issues. We are still investigating as much as we can despite our lack of funds,” she said.
Family members said that they still do not know where the detainees are being held ,and are worried that they could be tortured. The wife of former administrative official U Khin Maung Kyaw told Narinjara that she wanted her husband released as soon as possible because he was old and in poor health “I want my husband to come home soon. He will not be able to endure the tortures. And my husband was so sick that he couldn't even eat properly. He was beaten around and dragged away. I want him to be released as soon as possible. I don't even know where he is, or if he is still alive. When the head of the family was arrested, all the family members including the children were starving. He retired from being the administrative official 5 or 6 months ago. He is also old. He said then that he no longer wanted to be involved in political affairs and resigned”, she said.
Most of those arrested are middle-aged between the ages of 30 and 40 but the former administrative official and a schoolteacher were the elder people among them.
edited TF
