Man beaten to death by gang in shallow grave [Myanmar]

Video shows the victim kneeling at the edge of a pit, surrounded by alleged members of Myanmar's ethnic armed groups, before being executed.

The video, showing a man in civilian clothes being brutally beaten to death by a member of an armed group on October 30, 2019, was circulated on social media. Members of the armed group, wearing partial uniforms and carrying AK-47 guns and knives, asked the victim to pray for his final wishes in Rakhine and Burmese.

"May my soul be restored to my brothers and mother. May the Arakan Army [AA] enjoy peace," the victim said in Burmese with an Rakhine accent.

After the victim prayed, a member of an armed group wearing only pants and no shirt hit the victim in the back of the head, knocking him down in the pit.

The man then hit the victim on the head multiple times until the victim died.

The video footage of the brutal murder was removed from social media hours after it was circulated.

It was difficult to determine which organization or armed group the attackers belonged to because they were not wearing full uniforms.

However, based on the remarks of those involved and the mention of "AA", it is likely that the murder involved some ethnic Rakhine people and was likely to be related to "AA".

There has been much criticism so far denouncing the brutal murder, with accusations leveled against the AA and the Myanmar military.

However, in an interview with BBC Burmese on October 31, a representative of the AA refused to disclose any knowledge of the murder, saying that the organization did not commit such murders. AA representatives accused the Myanmar military of involvement.

A spokesman for the Myanmar military's True News Information Group denied the accusation and reiterated that the murder was the work of the AA.

"We absolutely cannot accept this kind of murder. [The victim] should not be tortured like this, no matter what mistakes he made," Arakan National Party (ANP) lawmaker Daw Khin Saw Wai said.

She added that she wanted to urge ethnic armed groups and the army to consider the innocent victims of violence between them, but she did not want to blame the fighting on the armed groups or the army.

In September, three civilians were beheaded in northern Rakhine State. On September 10, the bodies of the two victims were displayed at the market intersection in Kan Taung Gyi Village, Myeypon Township.

On the same day, another beheaded civilian body was also displayed in a village in Ann town.

"This kind of murder is a horrific thing. Those who commit these murders are threatening our human society. This lawless murder must be investigated if possible." Lawyer and human rights defender Robert San Aung (Robert San Aung) said.

He said the two sides needed to engage in dialogue because the lack of peace was leading to civilian deaths.

Information Sources https://www.bnionline.net/en/news/aa-denies-allegation-killing-video-clip