Burmese Army commanders assaults class X student

February 12, 2009 (Khonumthung News) – A class X student of Lailaipi (LaiLenpi) village was beaten up so badly by the commander and second commander of LaiLenPi camp from the Matupi based Burmese Army battalion 304 that his ribs and hand were fractured.  The student has been admitted to Matupi hospital, Chin state.

The incident occurred on 15 January 2009 when the two commanders told him to hire a guitar and asked him to sing, but the student refused. So they handed out extreme punishment to the boy.

The commander was drunk and he scolded the student. He asked ‘why don’t you know how to sing as a young man of the Mara Thyutlia Py (MTP)’, a local quoted the officer as saying.

The parents of the victim and the students reported the assault to the Second Tactical Commander Lieutenant Colonel Zaw Myint Oo, but he took no action.

The student is still in Matupi hospital and his condition is serious. He may not be able to appear for the class X examination.

Mr. Sangbik, assistant file coordinator of the Chin Human Rights Organisation said the incident was the result of looking down on Chin people. The military hands out punishment when our people disagree with them. Actually, they view us as animals, he told Khonumthung News.

As far as we know the victim will not recover fully and he cannot do hard labour anymore, he added.

In January the troops of battalion 304 based in Matupi had forcibly recruited three boys aged 13 years into the Burmese Army.

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