‘Legs cut off for liking FB posts, boiling water poured on wounds’: Ex-writer reveals details of Myanmar prison torture

With the military junta taking power in 2021 in Myanmar, situations in the country are largely kept hidden from the outside world. However, a former journalist named Maung Maung shed light on the harsh conditions of people living under the junta’s dictatorial control.

He recounts his perilous journey to escape the clutches of the regime after Aung San Suu Kyi’s ouster, and shared the excruciating brutality he faced from the Myanmar military, including the horrific ordeal of his own brother.

According to a report published in The independentthe Yangon-based former journalist described the dramatic shift after the military coup on February 1, 2021.

“As a journalist in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, my life was irrevocably changed on February 1, 2021. The military took control and plunged the nation into chaos. Millions demonstrated against the coup, but their defiance was met with brutal force. The army’s crackdown was ruthless: thousands were killed or imprisoned, a nationwide curfew was imposed and homes were searched, with anyone deemed ‘suspicious’ detained.” News 18 quoted The independent where Maung shared his ordeal.

“Social media, a lifeline to the outside world, was silenced. Torture during interrogations became a terrifying reality, claiming countless lives. Faced with such terror, many fled and sought refuge in neighboring Thailand,” he added.

The former journalist also revealed the terrifying consequences of even the slightest perceived disagreement.

“One of my friends was imprisoned for three months. Foreign journalists who had Aung San Suu Kyi’s photo on their mobile phones were sentenced to seven years in prison. They were tortured for months in a dark prison cell. Many are still imprisoned there,” he said.

“One of my three brothers was arrested for liking a Facebook post. His legs were cut off. Boiling water was poured on the wounds, causing him to lose consciousness. When he regained consciousness the next morning, soldiers dragged him out. They tied him up and made him lie under the burning sun until he passed out again. When he woke up the second time, he was in a truck on the way to Insein Prison,” Maung said.

Paid bribe to prison guard

Maung revealed that he paid a huge bribe to a prison guard to get his wife medical treatment. He was released after eight months due to lack of evidence.

“I also quit my job and left Yangon. The first thing I did was delete all photos, data and emails from my mobile phone and laptop. We bought rice from farmers, filled sacks, hid them in a truck and fled in the middle of the night. On the way, we bribed soldiers at military checkpoints with whiskey and cash to let us go,’ he said.