A Human Rights Watch’s (HRW) report details the torture and killing of six detained activists Burma has once again highlighted the brutality of the ruling military junta, which has since been responsible for at least 690 deaths in custody. February 2021 coup.
“The six deaths documented by HRW are just the tip of the iceberg of the suffering and torture of those detained by the Burmese Army and Police,” said Manny Maung, a researcher at the human rights organization, in a report released Tuesday. .
“Considering the junta’s brutality in all aspects of his government, It is somewhat surprising that no clear measures have been taken to investigate deaths in custody. and bring those responsible to justice,” Maung added.
Report details the deaths of six of the 690 people who have died since the coup According to data from the Association for Helping Political Prisoners, at least 73 of whom died in police stations, military interrogation centers or prisons are in the hands of the security forces after their arrest.
The military junta acknowledges only a few deaths in custody and attributes them to heart failure or other problems. But HRW emphasizes that “many died from torture or other ill-treatment, including poor detention conditions and lack of access to adequate medical care.”
Photographs with traces of torture
Researchers had access references from relatives and photos According to medical experts, “there are so many signs of abuse and torture that it’s hard to know exactly what killed them.”
Four of the families interviewed stated that they felt pressure by the authorities to immediately cremate the bodies in order to hide the alleged evidence of ill-treatment, while the other two families said they buried the bodies as soon as possible, fearing that they would be confiscated.
one of the cases Zaw Myat Lynn, a former member of the National League for Democracy (LND) is the party of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who runs a vocational school in the most populous city of Rangoon.
In the early hours of March 9, police and soldiers came to the center where he lived with his family and students, and he was detained because of his pro-democracy posts on social media.
Despite trying to escape, Lynn, 46, was surrounded by officers and soldiers who took her in a military vehicle.
A few hours later, the authorities asked the family to go and identify the body, as he died of heart failure, according to the official statement, although they did not provide any medical report.
Photos reviewed by HRW experts show: As his tongue burned and his teeth fell out, they poured boiling water or a chemical solution into his mouth and face.While the rest of his body was wrapped in clothing, it made him think they were trying to hide other injuries.
“The deaths of people in detention are one of the secret atrocities committed by the junta’s security forces on a daily basis,” said Maung.
According to the AAPP, the February 1, 2021 military coup plunged Burma into a deep political, economic and military crisis at the hands of the authorities that left at least 2,273 people dead, and more than 12,300 were imprisoned.