Arakan News Agency
One of six alleged juvenile offenders being held at Border Guard Outpost 3 in the Arakan township of Buthidaung died four months ago, according to Burma’s State Counsellor’s Office.
The young man was among a group – six of whom were under the age of 16 – arrested on false allegations of involvement in attacking and killing border guards in November.
The youngsters – aged 12 to 15 – were charged with murder alongside other offenses.
“Mammud Rawphi died on 2 February while receiving medical care for inflammation of the stomach,” said the government office statement on 5 June. “He was taken into Buthidaung hospital on 16 January and received medical treatment for recurring symptoms on 30 January. According to a medical certificate recording his death, Mammud Rawphi died of pericardial effusion which caused cardiac shock. ”
No explanation was offered by the government as to why the announcement of the boy’s death was delayed.
According to a report by Reuters in March, 13 children, some as young as 10, are among some 400 Rohingya Muslims detained on charges of consorting with insurgents. Burmese security forces launched a crackdown in October last year.
Myanmar government has a long history of brutal torture of their victims in jail, without realization of the fact that they are may be children.
It is worth mentioning that UN observers and human rights groups have documented a litany of extrajudicial executions, random shootings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, rape, beatings, torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading punishments, looting, destruction of property and ethnic and religious discrimination.
