A transgender activist and writer, Saw Han Nway Oo was arrested at her home in Mandalay by Myanmar security forces on 6 September. She was taken to a military camp inside Mandalay Palace for interrogation.
“Much worse than the prison is the military interrogation camp in Mandalay Palace,” a transgender activist and writer Ma Saw Han Nway Oo revealed her experience.
The security forces blindfolded her and took her to a military interrogation camp inside Mandalay Palace.
“I was brutally tortured for two days in a raw. They sexually harassed me, trying to check if I did my surgery. I was beaten with wires and struck my legs with gun stocks. They poured hot water over my body, and slapped my face, and kicked me multiple times,” she continued.
She was transferred to Obo prison in Mandalay and charged for violating Section 505A of the Myanmar Penal Code, punishable by up to three years’ imprisonment.
“Once arrived in Obo Prison, they forced me to dress up as a male and put me in a prison cell with men. They mockingly called me ‘A Chawh Ma’ (a Burmese term used for mocking LGBT),” she added.
Ma Saw Han Nway Oo was arrested for allegedly receiving military training from the Kachin Independent Army (KIA). The charge was subsequently dropped and released on 19 October.
Many artists, students, monks, and activists also faced similar tortures during interrogation by the Myanmar security forces.
According to AAPP (Assistance Association for Political Prisoners), the Myanmar security forces have killed more than 1,200 people, including an estimated 131 or more tortured to death since the February coup.
