Myanmar Police Brutally Burn the Private Parts of Four Rohingya Women

MYARF Report | Written by M.S. Anwar

25^th March 2014

Northern Maungdaw, Arakan- Many Rohingya homes caught fire at the village of Sin-Tay-Pyin of Laung-Doong Village tract, northern Maungdaw, on 10^th March 2014 and on the following days in the nearby villages. The fire was caused by chemical powder used by Rakhine extremists to put Rohingya homes on fire. (Read Details HERE)

However, on 15^th March 2014, Police from Kyeing-Chaung (Bawli Bazaar) Station arrested four innocent Rohingya women under the false pretext that the their (the women’s) ignorance caused the fire. The Police inhumanly and brutally tortured them for forced admission of being guilty. When the women refused to say as they were forced, police inhumanly burned their private parts with candle fire. (They are of the age 29, 46, 35 and 55 respectively. Their names are witheld for privacy.)

On 16^th March 2014, the critically injured women were admitted to Kyein-Chaung hospital. Upon seeing the injuries of the women, Dr. Nu Kethi San, the incharge doctor of the hospital, slammed the policemen (that tortured the women). On 17^th March 2014, polie brought them to Maungdaw court and charged them under false cases. Afterwards, they were sent back to the Kyeing-Chaung police station.

One of the women has a breastfeeding baby and the administrator of the village has to take the baby to the mother in the lock-up every day. Since they don’t have any clothes other than those on their bodies, some Rohingyas from Kyeing-Chaung donated three pairs of clothes to each of them. On 21^st March 2014, they were handed over to the Maungdaw Police Station and are still in the detention of Maungdaw police custody.