Myanmar protesters describe torture they suffered in detention at the hands of the military
(CNN)The 19-year-old’s eyes are so swollen he cannot open them properly. His face is marked with big purple welts and bruises. Etched into his shoulders and back are long, dark lacerations that have yet to heal over — wounds, he said, that were inflicted when Myanmar military officers who had detained him whipped him repeatedly with cable wires.
“I thought I would die,” the teenager, who did not want to be named for safety reasons, said of his three-day stint in a military detention camp, while showing a photo of his wounds.He is one of more than 4,400 people detained by Myanmar’s security forces since the military seized power in a coup on February 1, according to advocacy group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. The round-up, part of a systematic and bloody crackdown on any perceived opposition to the takeover, has ensnared politicians, protesters, journalists, striking workers, celebrities, and even children and bystanders.
Many people have been taken in terrifying nighttime raids or abducted off the streets and held in secretive facilities out of contact from their families. Little is known about the conditions they are kept in.
The 19-year-old said he was repeatedly beaten while held in military detention. But the accounts of those who have been released, as well as from defectors from the military and family members, detail brutal acts of violence and torture. Read MoreThe teen was traveling back to Yangon from Bago on his moped when he said he was stopped at a military checkpoint on April 9. It was a long drive, and it was already getting late. That day had seen one of the deadliest crackdowns on protesters, with more than 80 killed by security forces in the town, according to AAPP.Searching his bag and phone, soldiers found images of him with a shield at protests.The 19-year-old said he was taken to a military compound, where his hands were tied and he was repeatedly beaten by the guards, who used cables, the butts of guns, and glass bottles.
His back shows the scars from being whipped with cable wires, after he was released from military detention.”The commander tied my hands from the back and used small scissors to cut my ears, the tip of my nose, my neck and my throat. (He) hit my head with a glass bottle, beat me up, pointed at me with guns but the bullets did not come out. He used the gun to threaten me as soon as I got to their station. Then he let his fellow soldiers beat me up that night,” he said.The soldiers accused him of giving money to the Civil Disobedience Movement, in which doctors, workers and civil servants have gone on strike to cripple the economy and bring down the junta, led by Gen. Min Aung Hlaing. “They beat me with a cable wire, they used a big cable wire and they braid it with two cable wires to make it bigger. They forced us to be on our knees, with our backs straight, and punched and kicked us. When we fell on the ground they hit us with the cable wire. It hurt so much. I even told them to kill me instead of torturing me it was that painful,” the teenager said. Three weeks after his ordeal, he remains in hiding. His wounds are healing, he said, but he still has difficulty walking and can’t properly fasten his buttons. During the beatings, one thing kept him going. “I thought I was about to die but I have to stay strong, I couldn’t eat what they gave to me but I forced myself to eat to stay alive, we have to be released and when we get released we can participate (in the protests) again,” the 19-year-old said.His scars, both physical and mental, are a constant reminder of the military’s grotesque cruelty and lack of regard for the civilians they claim to rule over.
The 19-year-old said he was detained after soldiers found images on his phone of him at protests. More than 750 people, including large numbers of children and young people, have been killed by security forces since the military junta seized power, AAPP has documented. A growing number of those killed are injured protesters who were detained by the military and denied medical attention. Others, including ousted members of the democratically elected National League for Democracy, have died in custody, their bodies bearing the marks of torture. “People arrested by the security forces are more likely to be subjected to torture or ill treatment in detention,” said Zaw Win, human rights specialist with rights group Fortify Rights. “Our team has documented cases of arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and beatings since February 1. The military tactics of arrest and ill treatment are creating an environment of terror and anxiety among the public. Yet, protesters are still going to the streets to call for an end to military rule.”Torture was widespread and well documented during the previous military regime, which began transferring power to a quasi-civilian government in 2011. Despite the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy being in power since 2014, the United Nations Convention Against Torture was never signed. The AAPP said torture in Myanmar is still commonplace during interrogation and imprisonment to extract confessions or further degrade and humiliate detainees. CNN has reached out to Myanmar’s military for comment. In state media, the junta has said it is acting with restraint in handling what it has described as demonstrations by “riotous protesters” whom it accuses of attacking police and harming national security and stability.
Barely recognizable
Despite claims of restraint, the military junta has shown no shame in its acts of cruelty — if anything, it’s made efforts to publicize those acts as a warning to anyone who dares to speak out. Every night at 8 p.m. local time, neatly coiffed news anchors announce a list of people wanted for arrest on junta-controlled TV. The broadcasts have included actors, musicians, journalists and doctors who have gone on strike to protest the coup — their photographs and social media profiles beamed across the country.On April 18, the military aired the images of six people it had arrested and accused of being in possession of homemade bombs following a series of deadly blasts in the Yangon suburb of Yankin on April 17. The faces of the four men and two women bore severe signs of abuse. One of the women, 31-year-old dance teacher Khin Nyein Thu, was barely recognizable, her mother said. Her face was swollen and bloody. Her mother, who did not want to be named for security reasons, said Khin Nyein Thu was picked up in a nighttime raid and she is concerned about her welfare in an interrogation center, where she is now believed to be held.
An undated photo of dance teacher Khin Nyein Thu. Her mother managed to catch a glimpse of her daughter when she was first taken to the police station. “She was clearly in pain, she was walking unsteadily and when I called her she turned around to look at me. It was at this point I could tell that her face was very swollen,” she said.”I was told by someone who was released that she has been hit in the face, I understand she has cuts on her face and lips, and bruised eyes, and lost a tooth.”She described Khin Nyein Thu, her only child, as a creative, artistic person who loved to dance, paint, kickbox, and share what she knows with others. Though detained on April 17, Khin Nyein Thu has not been charged or taken to prison, her mother said. Instead, she believes she has been transferred to another interrogation camp.”I could not sleep all night and I had a choking feeling of fear. The worst was thinking I could not follow her,” the mother said of the night her daughter was taken. Desperate to hear from her daughter, she added, “I want to see her. I want her to get medical treatment as soon as possible.”
‘They will kill anyone they want’
Even among the lower ranks of the military, there are soldiers disgusted with the violence they are being ordered to carry out against their fellow countrymen and women. From the safety of neighboring India, a 23-year-old former army cadet said he defected from the military, haunted by his experiences on nighttime raids. CNN has agreed not to name him for his safety. He described a culture of intimidation and brainwashing within the military, known as the Tatmadaw, where from day one new recruits are told the country can only be at peace if the army is in charge.Freshly graduated from military training in March, the 23-year-old was posted to Yangon’s Mingaladon township, where he was ordered to join the nightly raids and arrest suspected protesters or opponents of the coup. He said every night they would deploy with two rounds of ammunition, assault rifles, detailed maps of neighborhoods and names of protest leaders from their informants. “They order us to shoot when the person we want to arrest is escaping from the house,” the former cadet said. “At one point we went to arrest two leaders, one got arrested and one was trying to escape and we shot him on the spot.” He said the person who was shot managed to escape, so they arrested his daughter who was also in the house. “The orders depend on the commanders of the group, if they told us shoot then we have to shoot right away,” he added.
A former army cadet from Myanmar’s military who defected across the border to India after being ordered to take part in raids and beatings of protesters.The former cadet claims he intentionally broke his rifle that night so it wouldn’t fire, but he couldn’t avoid participating in the beatings. His account gives a harrowing insight into the military’s operations, as reported by countless protesters and family members of those detained. “They were crying when we raid their houses and beating them. The neighbors knew too but on one dares to come out at night. If someone looks at us through their windows, we asked them to come out and beat them too. The military will find fault at every house they raid and will beat them,” he said. The culture of fear within the ranks means he cannot complain. “I cannot say anything even if I do not like what they are doing,” he said. Anyone found outside after curfew at 8 p.m. local time is interrogated and beaten. If they run, military orders are ordered to shoot them, the former cadet said. No one is spared this treatment, including women and children. “The youngest one I saw was around 10 or 11 years old, a boy,” he said. “If someone talks back to us, we will hit them with the back of the gun — and some bleed. I feel sad every night as I have to watch when they are beating people in the house, including children, and I couldn’t say anything to them. I feel sad every night.”The former cadet also described what many family members and activists have reported — that injured protesters are being denied medical care while in custody. Some pass away in detention from their wounds, left to die with no aid to ease their suffering.”When people got shot and got arrested they didn’t get any treatment. Some were still alive when they got shot but because they didn’t get any treatment, they died in the morning because they lost too much blood. Then the military gave the dead body back to the family,” he said. The former cadet said that at the military barracks, soldiers are not allowed to leave the base and are only allowed to watch the military TV channel.
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters make the three-finger salute of resistance during an anti-coup demonstration in Yangon, Myanmar, on Tuesday, April 27.Hide Caption 1 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarPolice officers clear a road after demonstrators spread placards in Yangon on Saturday, April 24.Hide Caption 2 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters run from security forces during an anti-coup demonstration in Yangon on April 12.Hide Caption 3 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarBuses from the Yangon Bus Service are seen burnt on April 12.Hide Caption 4 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarPolice talk as they arrive at the site of a demonstration in Yangon on April 12.Hide Caption 5 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarAnti-coup protesters walk through Yangon’s Hlaing township on April 9.Hide Caption 6 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarAn anti-coup protester raises a decorated Easter egg along with the three-fingered salute of resistance during a demonstration in Yangon on April 4.Hide Caption 7 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters hold homemade pipe air guns during a demonstration in Yangon on April 3.Hide Caption 8 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters hold improvised weapons in Yangon on April 3.Hide Caption 9 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarResidents of the Tamwe area of Yangon participate in a candlelight vigil on April 3.Hide Caption 10 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarPeople take part in a “flower strike” in Yangon on April 2.Hide Caption 11 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters wearing face paint stand near a burning barricade during an anti-coup demonstration in Yangon on March 30.Hide Caption 12 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarSoldiers walk toward anti-coup protesters during a demonstration in Yangon on March 30.Hide Caption 13 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters run to avoid the military in Yangon on March 30.Hide Caption 14 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarA man rides his bike as smoke billows from burning barricades in Yangon on March 30.Hide Caption 15 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters throw stones and use slingshots as security forces approached in Yangon on March 28.Hide Caption 16 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarSmoke rises after anti-coup protesters burned tires in Yangon on March 27.Hide Caption 17 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters make incendiary devices during an anti-coup rally in Yangon.Hide Caption 18 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarSmoke rises over Yangon’s Thaketa Township on March 27.Hide Caption 19 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarMourners attend the funeral of Tin Hla, a 43-year-old who was reportedly shot dead by security forces during a protest.Hide Caption 20 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarPeople cry in Yangon after a relative was shot during a crackdown on anti-coup protesters.Hide Caption 21 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters occupy a street during a rally in Yangon on March 27.Hide Caption 22 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters gesture during a march in Yangon on March 26.Hide Caption 23 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarThein Zaw, a journalist with the Associated Press, waves after being released from a prison in Yangon on March 24. He had been detained while covering an anti-coup protest in February.Hide Caption 24 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarMen pray during the funeral of Khin Myo Chit, a 7-year-old girl who was shot in her home by Myanmar’s security forces on March 23. The girl was killed during a military raid, according to the Reuters news agency and the advocacy group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.Hide Caption 25 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarA Buddhist monk uses binoculars as he squats behind a road barricade with others in Mandalay, Myanmar, on March 22.Hide Caption 26 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarThe mother of Aung Kaung Htet wails during the teenage boy’s funeral on March 21. Aung, 15, was killed when military junta forces opened fire on anti-coup protesters in Yangon.Hide Caption 27 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarUnidentified people cross the Tiau River at the India-Myanmar border on March 20. Some people from Myanmar have sought refuge in India since the protests began.Hide Caption 28 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarAn anti-coup protester jumps over a makeshift barricade in Yangon on March 19.Hide Caption 29 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters take positions on Yangon’s Bayint Naung Bridge on March 17. The bridge was blocked with an improvised barricade to prevent security forces from crossing.Hide Caption 30 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarMedical students hold up the three-finger salute at the Yangon funeral of Khant Nyar Hein on March 16. The first-year medical student was fatally shot during the crackdown.Hide Caption 31 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters test Molotov cocktails in Yangon on March 16.Hide Caption 32 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters stand near burning tires in Yangon on March 16.Hide Caption 33 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarAnti-coup protesters pray in Yangon on March 14.Hide Caption 34 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarEmergency workers transport the body of Shel Ye Win, who was shot by security forces in Mandalay.Hide Caption 35 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarSmoke billows from the industrial zone of the Hlaing Tharyar township in Yangon on March 14. The Chinese Embassy in Myanmar said several Chinese-funded factories were set ablaze during protests. Demonstrators have accused Beijing of supporting the coup and junta.Hide Caption 36 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarA member of Myanmar’s police is seen firing a weapon toward protesters in Yangon on March 13.Hide Caption 37 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarPeople lay flowers and light candles beside bloodied pavement where protester Chit Min Thu was killed in Yangon.Hide Caption 38 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarMilitary trucks are seen near a burning barricade in Yangon that was erected by protesters and then set on fire by soldiers on March 10.Hide Caption 39 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarA protester holds a homemade shield during an anti-coup demonstration in Yangon on March 9.Hide Caption 40 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarA protester discharges a fire extinguisher to counter the impact of tear gas that was fired by police in Yangon on March 8.Hide Caption 41 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters string up longyi, traditional clothing worn in Myanmar, during a demonstration in Yangon on March 7.Hide Caption 42 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarThe wife of Phoe Chit, a protester who died during a demonstration, cries over her husband’s coffin during his funeral in Yangon on March 5.Hide Caption 43 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters step on portraits of Myanmar’s armed forces chief, Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, during a demonstration in Yangon on March 5.Hide Caption 44 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarPeople cry in Yangon on March 4, near a spot where a family member was killed while protesting.Hide Caption 45 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters lie on the ground after police opened fire to disperse an anti-coup demonstration in Mandalay on March 3.Hide Caption 46 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarSchoolteachers wear traditional hats while participating in an anti-coup demonstration in Mandalay on March 3.Hide Caption 47 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarA soldier stands next to a detained man during a demonstration in Mandalay on March 3.Hide Caption 48 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarAnti-coup protesters run in Yangon on March 3. One of them discharged a fire extinguisher to counter the impact of tear gas fired by police.Hide Caption 49 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarAn anti-coup protester writes vital emergency information of another protester on his arm in Yangon.Hide Caption 50 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarPolice run toward protesters to disperse a demonstration in Yangon on March 3.Hide Caption 51 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarA citizen of Myanmar living in India burns a poster of Myanmar’s military chief during a protest in New Delhi on March 3.Hide Caption 52 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarMedics help supply oxygen to a protester who was exposed to tear gas in Yangon on March 3.Hide Caption 53 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters flee after tear gas was fired during a demonstration in Yangon on March 1.Hide Caption 54 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters smoke behind shields during a demonstration in Yangon on March 1.Hide Caption 55 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters in Yangon run away from tear gas on March 1.Hide Caption 56 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarPeople in Yangon take part in a ceremony on February 28 to remember those who have been killed during demonstrations.Hide Caption 57 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarSoldiers patrol during a protest in Yangon on February 28.Hide Caption 58 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters take cover as they clash with police in Yangon on February 28.Hide Caption 59 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters erect barricades during a demonstration in Yangon on February 28.Hide Caption 60 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarPolice charge at anti-coup protesters in Yangon on February 27.Hide Caption 61 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarAn injured protester receives medical attention in Mandalay after police and military forces cracked down on protests on February 26.Hide Caption 62 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarFactory workers hold placards and shout slogans as they hold an anti-coup protest in Yangon on February 25.Hide Caption 63 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarAnti-coup protesters shout slogans in Yangon on February 25.Hide Caption 64 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarA police officer films protesters near the Indonesian Embassy in Yangon on February 24.Hide Caption 65 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarThida Hnin cries during the funeral of her husband, Thet Naing Win, in Mandalay on February 23. He and another protester were fatally shot by security forces during an anti-coup protest.Hide Caption 66 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarPolice stand guard near the US Embassy in Yangon as protesters take part in an anti-coup demonstration on February 22.Hide Caption 67 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters hold signs featuring civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi during a demonstration in Yangon on February 22. Hide Caption 68 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters gather for a demonstration on February 22.Hide Caption 69 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarA man is carried after police dispersed protesters in Mandalay on February 20. Hide Caption 70 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarA police truck uses a water cannon to disperse protesters in Mandalay on February 20.Hide Caption 71 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarA police officer aims a gun toward protesters during a demonstration in Mandalay on February 20.Hide Caption 72 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarA protester holds a Suu Kyi poster as he sits in front of police in Yangon on February 19.Hide Caption 73 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters flash the three-fingered salute during a rally in downtown Yangon on February 19.Hide Caption 74 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarFlower tributes and sympathy messages are left in Yangon for Mya Thweh Thweh Khine. The 20-year-old was shot in the head at a protest in Naypyidaw, and she died on February 19.Hide Caption 75 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters block a major road during a demonstration in Yangon on February 17.Hide Caption 76 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarDemonstrators block a Yangon bridge with their cars on February 17.Hide Caption 77 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarBuddhist monks march during an anti-coup protest in Yangon on February 16.Hide Caption 78 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarA Suu Kyi banner is displayed during demonstrations in Yangon on February 15.Hide Caption 79 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarSoldiers carry barricades in Yangon on February 15.Hide Caption 80 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarElected members of Parliament wave to protesters in Yangon as police surround the headquarters of Suu Kyi’s political party, the National League for Democracy, on February 15.Hide Caption 81 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarMedics clear the way as an injured protester is carried away for treatment in Mandalay, Myanmar, on February 15.Hide Caption 82 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarPeople gather around an armored vehicle in Yangon on February 14.Hide Caption 83 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarYoung people in Yangon take part in an anti-coup hip-hop performance on February 14.Hide Caption 84 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters demonstrate in Yangon on February 14.Hide Caption 85 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarA child runs alongside an armored vehicle in Yangon on February 14.Hide Caption 86 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters march through the city of Shwebo on February 13.Hide Caption 87 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarMembers of the Myanmar Photographers Association hold up their cameras as they call for Suu Kyi’s release on February 13.Hide Caption 88 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarPolice detain a protester during a demonstration in Mawlamyine on February 12.Hide Caption 89 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarFarmers ride a tractor with a Suu Kyi poster during a demonstration in Thongwa on February 12.Hide Caption 90 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarA protester dressed as Lady Justice makes a three-finger salute as she takes part in a demonstration in Yangon on February 11.Hide Caption 91 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters demonstrate in Bagan, a UNESCO World Heritage site, on February 11.Hide Caption 92 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarGen. Min Aung Hlaing, the country’s military leader, makes a televised statement on February 11. He announced that more than 23,000 prisoners were set to be granted amnesty and released that day. It was unclear what offenses the prisoners were convicted of.Hide Caption 93 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarBodybuilders take part in a protest in Yangon on February 11.Hide Caption 94 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarPeople hold up letters that spell “get out dictators” during a demonstration at Inle Lake on February 11.Hide Caption 95 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarA protester carries a child during a march in Yangon on February 10.Hide Caption 96 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarWomen in wedding gowns holds up anti-coup placards in Yangon on February 10.Hide Caption 97 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarA police officer aims a gun during clashes with protesters in the capital of Naypyidaw on February 9.Hide Caption 98 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarA protester pleads for police to refrain from using tear gas against demonstrators in Yangon on February 9.Hide Caption 99 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarPolice fire water cannons at protesters in Naypyidaw on February 9.Hide Caption 100 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters gather in Yangon on February 8.Hide Caption 101 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters flash three-fingered salutes as they face rows of riot police in Naypyidaw on February 8.Hide Caption 102 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarHospital workers show three-finger salutes during a demonstration in Yangon on February 7.Hide Caption 103 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarA rally takes place in Yangon on February 7.Hide Caption 104 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters shout slogans in Yangon on February 7.Hide Caption 105 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarProtesters give roses to riot police in Yangon on February 6.Hide Caption 106 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarYangon residents bang objects to show support for Suu Kyi and her party on February 5. Hide Caption 107 of 108
Photos: Unrest in MyanmarSoldiers block a road near Myanmar’s Parliament on February 2, a day after the coup.Hide Caption 108 of 108
“They brainwash us by telling us that it’s only because of the Tatmadaw’s existence the country is peaceful. They told us the ethnic armed groups are smuggling drugs and trafficking people and that is why the Tatmadaw has to fight them. If the Tatmadaw do not exit, the civilians will not be able to live peacefully anymore,” he said. Previous atrocities perpetuated by the military have shown the indoctrination to be nationwide and decades old. Human rights abuses by the military, including beatings, torture, extrajudicial killings, forced labor and sexual violence, have been long documented by the UN and rights groups in ethnic areas such as Kachin and Karen states.In 2017, the military’s campaign of killing and arson against the Rohingya community in Rakhine state forced more than 740,000 people to flee to neighboring Bangladesh. A genocide case against the military and coup leader Min Aung Hlaing is ongoing at the International Court of Justice. Now, the military has brought its ruthless war tactics from the jungles and borderlands to the towns and cities. Soldiers, like the young former cadet, are turning their guns on people who could be their neighbors. The former cadet said it was the cruelty to the families of the protesters that finally broke him, so he decided to escape and made the long journey from Yangon to the Indian border.
“I have to go out every night and I don’t want to do this anymore, I cannot keep seeing people got beaten every night,” he said. “They will kill anyone they want kill, that’s what I know of them.”
Source: edition.cnn.com
