Mell Ta Yo villager beaten and tortured by Burmese soldiers in Kyikemayaw

January 3, 2024

HURFOM: On December 30, 2023, junta soldiers beat a 52-year-old Mell Ta Yo villager in Kyikemayaw Township.

Nai Maung Sa lost consciousness from the beating and was abandoned in a nearby rubber plantation. Villagers found him and with the help of a local rescue team arranged for him to get to Mawlamyine General Hospital.

“The villagers who found him were using a shortcut (jungle) route to check their abandoned houses. The military closed all the main roads. Nai Aung Sa was found at the plantation. He could still breathe but couldn’t speak. He was beaten all over. His condition looked very bad, so he was sent to Mawlamyine Hospital directly,” said a local source.

The military junta has been reinforcing their troops in an effort to take back control of Kyikemayaw Township, Mon Stat.

“Most villagers dare not stay in the village. We have been running away since last month. Only eight villagers are left in Mell Ta Yo. Armed clashes are happening daily. We don’t know why the military is angry with the villagers or why they beat and tortured him a lot. They abandoned him in a plantation and he thought he was dead,” said a social worker.

There are reports that at least two other villagers were also beaten and tortured by the military. Villagers are worried about their own safety and of the victims and will not mention any names. The military also arrested two 20-year-old young women for using the main road and as of today, they have been detained for four days. They have not yet been released.

Due to growing military tensions, the recent beatings and torture by the Burmese soldiers, residents from Mell Ta Yo and nearby villages dare not return their homes.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News