Rights Group Condemns Police Arrest of Mandalay Gays

23 July 2013

The Asian Human Rights Commission has condemned Mandalay police for arresting 12 gay men earlier this month. The commission said in a statement on Monday that it was “troubled” by their detention, adding that the cases constitute “alleged arbitrary arrest, detention and torture of persons on the grounds of sexual orientation.” The men were arrested on July 6 in an area of Mandalay’s old moat where gay and transgender sex worker are known to gather. They were held in custody for several hours, beaten, forced to do frog jumps and act as though walking a catwalk, before being released on bail.