A 58-year-old internally displaced person (IDP) camp leader died at Sittwe General Hospital on Tuesday night after sustaining severe injuries during interrogation by Myanmar military intelligence, local sources reported.

U Tha Han, who served as the person-in-charge of the Sinku Lant Road School IDP camp in the Rakhine State capital Sittwe, passed away at around 10:00 p.m. on August 25.

Sources close to the victim said he suffered extensive physical abuse while in military custody, resulting in a broken arm and severe tissue damage to his legs caused by soldiers trampling on him.

U Tha Han, who originally fled his home in Sittwe’s Byay Phyu village due to armed conflict, was initially arrested on June 15 during an overnight guest-list inspection by police before being released a week later.

However, on July 21, approximately seven military personnel rearrested him at the IDP camp.

Witnesses noted that U Tha Han was already unable to walk properly due to injuries sustained during his initial detention when soldiers loaded him into a vehicle under the pretext of questioning and medical treatment.

He was subsequently held at the Regional Military Development Command (Dakasa) before being transferred to the military intelligence unit, locally known as Sarapa, where the fatal torture allegedly took place.

“He was interrogated at Dakasa and then subjected to further brutal torture by Sarapa before being brought to the hospital, where he died,” a source close to the victim said, adding that authorities intend to return his body to his family.

Photo - (RFA)