Junta authorities have announced the deaths of four men and a woman, arrested in connection with an attack on a police station in Myanmar’s central Bago region, a local People’s Defense Force militia group told RFA this week.
They were among 34 locals arrested on suspicion of involvement in the April 27 attack on the police station in Waw township’s Nyaung Khar Shey village.
On Monday, an official of the Waw township People Defense Force told RFA that families had been notified of the deaths of 53-year old Tin Myo Khaing; 52-year-old Win Zaw Htay; 45-year-old San Shey; 60-year-old Mya Thein; and 35-year-old Kyaw Myint Thein, all from villages in the township.
They were told to hold funerals but did not receive the bodies.
“Family members were called to see the body of Myint Thein from Kyon Par village last month,” said the official, who declined to be named for security reasons.
“He was shot and caught as he tried to flee from the roof of his house … We don’t know when the other people arrested died and did not see their bodies.”
The official added that two other men, San Shey and Kyaw Myint Thein, were shot before their arrests.
RFA tried to contact the families but they didn’t want to talk because of safety concerns.
Calls to the junta spokesperson for Bago region, Tin Oo, seeking information on the deaths went unanswered.
People’s Defense Joint Forces attacked the police station in April, leading to a police roundup of locals over several days. They took in 20 people for questioning on April 27 and 28 and another 14 on May 1.
Locals said they don’t know if those arrested will be charged or released and RFA has been unable to contact the local police.
Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn.