In an incident that occurred in Gaw Yin Gyi Island area of Ngapudaw Township, Ayeyarwady Region, local residents fought back against the military council forces who were unlawfully detaining and torturing people on a motorboat, resulting in the death of one police officer and the loss of a pistol. The incident began on April 3rd in the evening when a motorboat owned by Rakhine ethnics arrived near the sea in Nat Hmaw village tract area of Ngaryutkaung territory. Upon receiving this information, Major Than Zin Linn from Ohnykyun Artillery Base in Ngaryutkaung, Police Officer Moe Htet Watha Kyaw from Ngaryutkaung Police Station, and the Nat Hmaw tract clerk went to arrest the boat.
After seizing the boat, they forced it to drive ahead while towing a local boat behind with a rope, heading towards the Ngaryutkaung Police Station. During this journey, the military council forces continuously beat and tortured the people on board. When they reached near Na Tha Pu village near Gaw Yin Gyi Island, the tortured civilians could no longer endure the abuse and fought back against their captors. In the ensuing confrontation, Police Officer Moe Htet Watha Kyaw was killed, while the Major and the clerk sustained severe injuries. The civilians also managed to seize the Major’s pistol before escaping from the scene.
According to local residents, the deceased police officer Moe Htet Watha Kyaw was known for committing acts of violence against civilians in the Ngaryutkaung coastal area and was widely despised by the local community. The injured clerk is currently receiving medical treatment for stab wounds, while Major Than Zin Linn was initially treated at Pathein Hospital and later transferred to Mingaladon Military Hospital after regaining consciousness. Local residents also indicated that Major Than Zin Linn was known for committing violent acts against civilians in the area. The incident highlights the ongoing tension between military council forces and civilians in the region, where arbitrary arrests and torture have become commonplace under military rule.
