Myanmar’s military beat and arrested at least 15 young people during night raids in Yangon on Thursday, while also looting shops and offices, according to eye witnesses and local sources.
Junta troops raided neighborhoods in Sanchaung, Kamayut and Yankin townships, arresting four young people in Sanchaung, eight in Kamayut and three in Yankin.
Soldiers arrived at Kankaw Street in Sanchaung around 11pm along with some detainees. After questioning the detainees in the street, soldiers raided a condo and arrested three young people, a witness told The Irrawaddy on condition of anonymity.
The detainees were beaten and questioned outside the condo.
“I saw they arrested three from the condo. There were also five others they had detained in other parts of Sanchaung. The detainees were ordered to lie on the ground, while the soldiers questioned and beat them. The five detained elsewhere were released,” said the witness.
Junta soldiers looted the offices and shops at the condo. They returned around 1am on Friday morning and took oxygen concentrators and hospital beds from a shop on the ground floor of the condo, residents said.
“They stole expensive chairs, beds, televisions and guitars among other things. There are several offices at the condo which they broke into and looted furniture from. They came again around 1am in two vehicles. There is a shop that sells and donates oxygen concentrators on the ground floor. They stole oxygen concentrators and hospital beds from there,” said a resident who asked not to be named.
Another youth from Shan Gon Street was arrested in Sanchaung. Junta forces also arrested three more youths from Yan Shin Street in Yankin.
Soldiers also raided three wards in Kamayut Township around midnight, arresting youths and looting items. Residents said they saw junta troops questioning the youths after they were detained.
“They came in around 12 vehicles. I think it is connected with the Sanchaung case. They broke into a gym and took things from there. We don’t know what they took,” a Kamayut resident told The Irrawaddy.
Yangon has seen frequent junta raids lately, with some resulting in deaths. On August 10, five young people jumped from a building in Yangon to avoid being captured by the junta. Two, including a woman, died and three others were seriously injured and detained. The military regime said the three injured were in hospital, but family members have not been allowed to visit them.
1,007 people were killed by junta forces between the February 1 coup and August 19, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. Another 5,747 people have been detained and arrest warrants issued for a further 1,984 people during the same period.
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