If the report about members of the military beat Shan youths at Mong Piang Township, Kengtung District, Eastern Shan State is the truth, they will be punished effectively, said the spokesman of the president, deputy communications minister, U Ye Htut.

“We don’t know whether this is true or not but abusing the public is strictly forbidden in Armed Forces Act. It also violates the military code of conduct.” he emailed to Myanmar Times on May 01.

The incident took place during Thingyan (Water Splashing Festival), on April 15, at Ta Long, Mong Piang Township, Kengtung District. The troops from Infantry Battalion (IB) 293 had splashed water violently and physically abused Shan women who were splashing water. The nearby Shan youths went to stop it. But the Assistant Battalion Commander Captain Nyi Nyi Naing had ordered his soliders to beat those youths.

Two Shan women and 5 Shan youths were beaten with rocks and injured on the head, face and back. The Deputy Commander of Triangle Regional Command had acted as witness and said that he would help the injured persons 50,000 kyat ($57) each. He had reportedly delivered the money to the Hwe Kha Hospital.

(Translated from Myanmar Times, 2 May 2013, reported by Nang Tin Htwe)