Family members worry for IDP missing since his arrest

Narinjara News, 31 July 2022

U Kyaw Hein, a 40-year-old refugee from an IDP camp in Kyauk Taw on upper Kaladan river, has gone missing since he was arrested by the junta forces on 19 July.

His family members are worried as they have no contact with him for more than 10 days. Burmese army personnel picked him up from Kawi Yadana IDP camp. Hailing from Miwa village, Kyaw Hein is a medical worker.

His wife Ma Aye Than expressed concern over Kyaw Hein’s whereabouts as the family has no clue about it. The couple has four children. Ma Aye Than herself is suffering from various ailments.

In 2020, when the fighting broke out in his village between the junta force and Arakan Army, Kyaw Hein along with his family arrived in Kawi Yadana monastery refugee camp to take shelter.

"If he has been  arrested that should be done under the law. But we have not heard about him for days. We suspect he has been tortured under the military custody,” she added.

The current military regime continues detaining common people. Very often the military personnel do not hand over the detainees to the police within 24 hours of their arrest, which is mandatory under the law. During the detention, the people are normally tortured by the soldiers.

Narinjara News tried to contact the Rakhine State security and border affairs minister colonel Kyawthura over the matter, but he was unavailable.

As the conflict goes on between the Burmese army personnel and AA members, the common people are suffering in Rakhine State. Many civilians associated with the AA were identified, arrested and  imprisoned under various terrorism charges, but often innocent civilians also become victim of circumstance.