Newly disclosed footage captured by a witness shows security staff removing a Muslim man from the lobby of the Asia Plaza Hotel on Jan. 18 and handing him over to a group of plainclothes police.
Than Toe Aung, a 25-year-old poet, translator, and interfaith activist, alleges that the police chased him without identifying themselves, called him a kalar, abducted him, beat him, kept him in jail for hours, threatened to frame him, forced him to sign a falsely incriminating document, and demanded a bribe of US$160 from his father before releasing him without filing any charges.
Yangon police have taken to Facebook several times to tell their own version of that night’s events, claiming the officers were in uniform, that they did not engage in police brutality, and that Than Toe Aung acted “rudely and aggressively” toward them when they first approached him that night.
They also published Than Toe Aung’s religion and exact address. The post attracted dozens of racist comments and threats.
READ: Arrest, abuse, cover up: A Muslim poet’s harrowing encounter with Yangon police
After netizens pointed out that the police had posted video footage showing that they were, in fact, not in uniform, the Facebook post was deleted and replaced with a new one. The new post said Than Toe Aung has a history of “occasionally going crazy,” which Than Toe Aung denies.
The newly surfaced video, which Coconuts has reviewed, shows plainclothes police officers instructing the hotel staff to remove Than Toe Aung from the lobby as the young man protests and tries to use his phone to contact his friends and family.
The security guards drag Than Toe Aung out of the building and hand him to the police officers, who try to force him into the back of a van. One of the police officers can be seen wearing a black vest with the word “POLICE” on it. Than Toe Aung claims he thought the men were racist thugs before he noticed the police vest while he was being dragged out of the hotel.
Than Toe Aung falls out of the back of the van once before the officer in the vest lift him and puts him back into the trunk. Several men hold Than Toe Aung in place as they seal the trunk, and a few can be seen striking him with their fists.
Than Toe Aung says the officers continued hitting and kicking him in the van and at the police station. He has posted images of his wounds on Facebook.
He has since brought his case to the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission.
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