US embassy protests maltreatment of detained citizen

by Mungpi
Thursday, 24 September 2009 15:13

New Delhi (Mizzima) – The US embassy in Rangoon has officially protested against the alleged maltreatment of detained American citizen, Kyaw Zaw Lwin (alias) Nyi Nyi Aung, as the Burmese junta on Thursday publicly announced his arrest.

Drake Weisert, Assistant Public Affairs Officer, at the US embassy in Rangoon told Mizzima that Kyaw Zaw Lwin made claims that he had been mistreated when the US consular officer visited him in Insein prison in Rangoon on Sunday.

“The U.S. Embassy has submitted an official message to the Government of Burma protesting the alleged mistreatment of an imprisoned American citizen,” Weisert said.

Sources said Kyaw Zaw Lwin was moved to several different interrogation centres since his arrest on September 3, until finally he was taken to the notorious Insein prison.

He was interrogated all through the night and tortured, where he had to tolerate punches on the face, kicks, and twisting of his arms and deprived of food for several days. Authorities also denied request for medical treatment.

Meanwhile, the Burmese junta in its mouthpiece New Light of Myanmar newspaper said Nyi Nyi Aung was arrested on September 3, on a tip-off by a ‘dutiful citizen’, at Rangoon International Airport as he entered the country from Thailand.

The newspaper said, Nyi Nyi Aung was arrested as he was known to be visiting Burma with the intention of creating unrest, in collaboration with activists inside the country.

The newspaper said, he had visited Burma eight times since November 2005 to September 2009. And he had also linked up with exiled Burmese activists and provided financial assistance to underground activists inside Burma to carry out sabotage and to trigger explosions at strategic locations.

According to the newspaper, Nyi Nyi Aung is a member of the All Burma Students Democratic Front (ABSDF), an armed student group based along the Thai-Burma border, and linked with groups including the Forum for Democracy in Burma (FDB), All Arakan Students and Youths Congress (AASYC) and other exiled Burmese groups.

“Steps are being taken to take action against Nyi Nyi Aung, a citizen of a foreign country who, out of disloyalty to his mother land and people, planned to instigate unrest and launch terrorist attacks, and his internal contacts,” the paper said.

“Further investigations are also being made to be able to expose and arrest his accomplices,” added the newspaper.

While the newspaper did not mention when the charge-sheet will be framed against Nyi Nyi Aung, sources said, authorities are set to charge him on October 1.