12 May 2021
On May 5, Pu Tler Ling, a 57-year-old man from Hakha, Chin State, was arrested by Military Council and died while being transferred from Hakha to Kalay for his medical treatment. Then Military Council informed to his family that his body had been cremated in Kalay.
“He had been ill since he was arrested. We’ve heard that he had been unable to walk or stand well whilst living in a detention camp. He reportedly died on his way to Kalay for medical treatment and then the corpse was cremated in Kalay. Military troops wrongfully stated that he had been using the walking-stick since before arrest. In fact, he has never used any stick and he used to be a healthy person. In my knowledge, they did not send him to Kalay and perhaps his body is still in Hakha,” one family member recounted.
Military Council stated Pu Tler Ling had been arrested for connecting with armed youths. Nonetheless, locals from Hakha remarked that such statement was untenable.
Furthermore, eyewitness reported that since Pu Tler Ling was heavily beaten whilst arresting and then could not walk by himself anymore, the soldiers carried him onto the truck.
Since the body of Pu Tler Ling who died after the arrest of Military Council has not yet been returned to his family, they are discussing about the plans they should do later.
Sent by KMG