Seven soldiers sentenced for civilian killings in Myanmar
Naypyidaw [Myanmar], Sept. 19 (ANI): In a rare admission of military misconduct, a Tatmadaw court has found seven soldiers, including four officers, guilty of murdering Shan villagers during a botched interrogation and sentenced them two five years imprisonment.
ANI
Sep 19, 2016 20:08 IST
Naypyidaw [Myanmar], Sept. 19 (ANI): In a rare admission of military misconduct, a Tatmadaw court has found seven soldiers, including four officers, guilty of murdering Shan villagers during a botched interrogation and sentenced them two five years imprisonment. After two months of investigation, the soldiers from the Northeast Regional Command in Lashio were sentenced to five years in prison with hard labour, reports the Myanmar Times. Of the seven convicted soldiers, four are military officers. Tatmadaw has long faced allegations of misconduct, particularly against ethnic minority populations, from human rights advocates and ethnic armed groups, but until now has largely acted with impunity. The case in Mong Yaw village made headlines in June after Tatmdaw troops detained several villagers in connection with a roadblock skirmish. The bodies of five civilians were dug up from shallow graves in a roadway ditch several days later. The family members of the deceased victims said the verdict, with its minimal prison terms, is not enough for delivering justice for their loved ones. After the news of the verdict spread, some within the military community accused the legal system of unjustly buckling to public pressure. (ANI)
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