(Paletwa Township, Chin State – 22^nd Jan 2020)

On 8^th Jan 2020 members of the Arakan Army (AA) tortured three members of a Chin family, including two women from Kyee Lay village in Paletwa Township, having accused the family of providing information to the Tatmadaw.

The AA soldiers entered the village of Kyee Lay at approx. 3 p.m. and arrested two sisters, Ma Kyawk Sein (25) and Ma Khin Toe (22). They tied the two women to a tree in the middle of the village and began beating them with bamboo.

Their father, U Maung Kyi (47) had been accused by the AA of supplying information to the Tatmadaw. Having been made aware of this accusation, U Maung Kyi had fled the village in order to hide. In his absence, the AA arrested his two daughters at their home. According to eyewitnesses the AA tied the girls’ necks and hands to a tree in the middle of the village and began beating them with bamboo sticks.

Upon hearing the news U Maung Kyi came back to the village and gave himself up to the AA soldiers. Ma Kyawk Sein and Ma Khin Toe were released at approx. 6 p.m. U Aung Kyi was subjected to the same treatment, kicked and beaten with bamboo until approx. 8 p.m. During the beating U Maung Kyi urinated himself.

On 12^th Jan, U Maung Kyi and family members snuck out of the village to seek medical care in Paletwa Town. The AA had recently imposed a ban on villagers going in and out of the village as they had established a temporary outpost, about one mile away from the village. Kee Lay villagers, therefore, had been prevented from farming under suspicion they may inform Tatmadaw of their location.

According to sources, the AA had also tortured three other villagers on a previous occasion, having suspected them of providing information to the Tatmadaw. U Muang Kyi is now in Paletwa receiving treatment for injuries sustained during the ordeal. It is reported he fainted three times after being tortured. Once he felt strong enough the family made the decision to flee the village.

Sources informed CHRO that the AA had forced one person per family to carry supplies from the dock at the bank of the Kaladan River such as rice, cooking oil and beer up to the village and then to their temporary camp nearby.

Kyee Lay village which has approx. 240 households is located on the bank of Kaladan River approx. two hours boat ride north of Paletwa Town.