Viral Protesters With Disabilities Beaten, Myanmar Military And Police Reap Condemnation

Myanmar police stand guard during a demonstration against the military coup. (Twitter/@ SellieSwan)

JAKARTA - Disabled people organizations and Myanmar civil society organizations have condemned the brutal action of the military and police who beat up anti-military coup protesters with disabilities in Mandalay, Myanmar.

This condemnation was issued after a video of a protester with disability being beaten by a number of police officers circulated on social media.

"Other residents were also subjected to beatings. But he was physically and mentally disabled and could not escape. It is intimidation by the police to brutally beat a person like that,” said U Aung Ko Myint, head of the federation, Friday, February 19, as quoted from The Irrawaddy.

“Wouldn't it be cruel to do something like that to someone who couldn't dodge and defend himself? It violates every law," he added.

A teenager with disabilities Ko Han Thet Zaw joined a demonstration with friends to help volunteers collect trash when police and military arrived and forcibly dispersed a crowd in Mandalay earlier this week.

The video shows him being kicked by a Myanmar military man when he fell after being beaten by several police officers. The 21-year-old was hit twice in the face and five times on the shoulder, according to his family.

"The other person ran, but he couldn't. Once (the police) said don't run, he just went around in circles and was then beaten. He fell and a neighbor saw him, then took him home,” said his uncle.

“I don't accept violence in an anarchist way. I condemn committing gang-like group violence against someone with a mental disability," he added.

Myanmar ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2011 and passed the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2015.

“It doesn't matter who takes office and takes control, they have to obey the conventions. It prohibits violence against people with physical and mental disabilities,” said chairman U Myat Thu Win of the Shweminthar Foundation, which helps people with disabilities.

Myanmar police forces are attacking the peacefully protesting unarmed civilian in Mandalay.

Tw // violence

INHUMAN MILITARY AND POLICE#Feb16Coup #WhatsHappeninglnMyanmar pic.twitter.com/cwo78fXGPy

— Ydn⁷ | #SaveMyanmar #Reject_the_Military🇲🇲 (@ydn_kookie) February 16, 2021