A junta army captain confessed to ordering the murder of seven Rakhine prisoners, including the famous Rakhine singer Phoe La Pyae and the journalist Phoe Thiha, in a video released by the Arakan Army (AA).
The seven prisoners were being held at the Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 378 base in Mrauk-U Town, Rakhine State. They were executed in a bomb shelter at the clinic on the base, at about 2:00 pm on 23 January 2024 and their bodies were then secretly buried.
The crimes were uncovered after the AA took control of the LIB 378 base on the morning of 5 February.
According to Captain Arkar Myint’s video confession, the LIB 378 commander, Major Thein Htike Soe, ordered him to kill the prisoners.
Captain Arkar Myint claimed that the order had been relayed to him by Lance Corporal Than Aung and his subordinate, Maung Maung.
In the video he said: “That order was given by Major Thein Htike Soe, an LIB 378 company commander who was getting medical treatment for an injury at the LIB 377 clinic. It was to execute the seven prisoners, including Phoe La Pyae, who had been transferred from the District Police station to LIB 378.”
After receiving the order Captain Arakar Myint told District Police Chief Khin Maung Soe, who was also stationed at the LIB 378 base, about the order. The Police Chief said he would deal with the consequences of the murders.
Captain Arakar Myint then told Lance Corporal Than Aung about the orders. The Lance Corporal suggested that they shoot the prisoners in the bomb shelter.
Captain Arakar Myint then gave Lance Corporal Than Aung the keys to the prisoners’ cells and ordered him to shoot the prisoners and then to properly bury the bodies.
Describing what happened on the video, Captain Arakar Myint said: “Lance Corporal Than Aung and his team took the seven prisoners, including Phoe La Pyae, with their eyes covered by clothes and their hands chained. The team took them through the back road of the central outposts to the basement of the clinic. After 15 minutes I heard seven to eight gunshots. 15 minutes later Lance Corporal Than Aung and his team returned to the centre outpost and reported that they had completed the order.”
The next day Major Thein Htike Soe and District Police Chief Khin Maung Soe lied to the LIB 378 Company Commander, Min Min Tun and told him that the seven prisoners had died in a bomb explosion.
In the video Captain Arkar Myint said that he had followed “orders from above” against his will and apologised to his victims’ families.
He said: “I sincerely apologise to the family members of the deceased and all the people of Arakan [Rakhine State] and feel saddened. Therefore, we acknowledge our guilt for committing these crimes and will willingly accept the punishment that the people of Arakan will give us.”
The seven victims were named as: Rakhine singer Kyaw Zan Wai, also known as Phoe La Pyae; journalist Myat Thu Tun, also known as Phoe Thiha; Kyaw Thein Hlaing, Kyaw Win Hlaing, Ko Nyunt, Win Naing, and Pyae Sone Win.
They were detained in late 2023 and at first were held at Mrauk-U District Police Station before being transferred to the LIB 378 base on 24 December 2023, according to sources.
The AA has vowed that the perpetrators of war crimes such as this will be punished and that justice will be pursued for the victims of war crimes and their families.