Two Men Arrested By Military Council Released

Two men traveling from Namkham Township in northern Shan State to Sagaing Region’s Khin-U Township were reportedly arrested and beaten by junta forces before being released after two weeks in detention.

On May 27, Mai Zaw Min Htet, 29, and Tin Min Htun, 30, were detained and interrogated during a military operation between Nga Oh and Shwe Pu villages.

“They seized 40 million kyats and all our mobile phones, and withheld my national ID card,” one of the victims said. “We were starved for two days before they gave us food. They tied me up and beat me with sticks while inspecting our phones. They also interrogated me about whether I was ethnically Kachin.”

The two men were initially rounded up alongside residents from Nga Oh Village at the Ye-U Village monastery.

After being held in military custody for 14 days, both men were released on June 10 and returned home via a hired vehicle.