A 35-year-old woman from Tha But Chaung village, Theachaung village tract, Kanpauk sub-township, Yebyu Township, died with multiple injuries after being taken to the home of the village administrator for questioning over missing gold and valuables, according to family members and local residents.
The woman was accused of involvement in the disappearance of gold and other valuable items from the administrator’s house. On February 12, she was taken to the administrator’s residence for questioning by the junta-appointed village administrator and members of the Pyu Saw Htee militia group.
On February 13, the administrator’s group informed the woman’s husband that she had died by suicide, claiming she had hanged herself, a local resident said.
“The administrator is also a Pyu Saw Htee leader. He accused her of stealing gold from his house and had her detained. She is his younger sister-in-law. We do not know how much gold was allegedly missing. She was questioned at his house and beaten during interrogation. They went too far and she died. Now they are saying she hanged herself,” a resident said.
However, residents who saw the body reported visible injuries, including a head wound, a cut above her eyebrow, and abrasions on her palms and back. They believe the injuries indicate she died as a result of beatings.
Police from the Kanpauk area police station later arrived at the administrator’s home and transported the body to Kanpauk sub-township hospital for examination and a post-mortem.
“Police from Kanpauk and navy personnel took the body to the hospital, reportedly for examination. It appears they were trying to present the case as a suicide so that the administrator would not be held responsible. Police officers were also saying she died by hanging,” the same resident said.
No action has reportedly been taken against the administrator or members of his group, and no further investigation is known to be ongoing.
On the afternoon of February 14, the woman’s body was returned from Kanpauk hospital to the Tha But Chaung cemetery, where family members and villagers conducted her funeral.
Residents close to the family said the woman, who had moved to the village from another area, was known for her good character and had no history of criminal activity.
According to United Nations reports, the number of women unlawfully killed since the military coup has increased significantly, with members of the junta’s security forces, soldiers, Pyu Saw Htee militia groups, and local administrative bodies implicated in such cases.
