Major Thaung Htut Lwin, a member of the township administrative body in Kyunchaung Township, Ayeyarwady Region, has been leading continuous acts of assault, arrest, and extortion against civilians. On June 18, at 1 AM, military council forces under his command raided the home of Daw Khin Mya in Kan Village, Kyoepinsu Village Tract, Kyunchaung Township. Under the pretext of checking guest registration, they arrested three family members. The forces then demanded 30 million kyats per person, and the family members were only released after paying a total of 90 million kyats.
Major Thaung Htut Lwin has established Pyu Saw Htee groups and People’s Security Forces throughout Kyunchaung Township. These groups have been conducting widespread arrests of young people under the guise of regional security and military service law, forcing them into porter service, and releasing them only after extorting money. In the previous month, they raided a furniture-making household, accused them of illegal timber usage, beat and arrested the residents, and only released them after five days when they received hundreds of millions of kyats in ransom. The military forces under his command physically assaulted the residents and detained them at the township administrative office with wooden stocks before demanding the ransom.
The People’s Militia, Pyu Saw Htee, and People’s Security Forces under Major Thaung Htut Lwin’s command regularly arrest civilians and youth, demanding arbitrary payments. Those who cannot pay the demanded amounts face charges under the Counter-Terrorism Law or are tortured under accusations of having connections with the People’s Defense Force (PDF). Local residents are too afraid of retaliation to file complaints about these illegal actions by Major Thaung Htut Lwin. The situation has become so severe that villagers must flee whenever military council forces enter their villages. The widespread extortion has affected the entire Kyunchaung Township, with residents living in constant fear of arbitrary arrests and financial exploitation by the military authorities.
