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Rangoon Woman in Police Station Death Plunge
By THE IRRAWADDY Wednesday, March 28, 2012


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Fury has gripped Rangoon after an ethnic Shan woman fell to her death from a police station after three days of relentless interrogation by Bureau of Special Investigations officers.

Nang Wo Phan died at 5 am on March 24 after plummeting five floors from the bureau office building in Kyauktada Township in center of the former capital.

Reports claim that the 20-year-old was not allowed home at any point during the interrogation and was obviously extremely scared during her ordeal.

She was married to a Japanese man who purchased a large amount of property in Rangoon under her name. Then another man who worked at their house duped her out of some land, so she reported the matter to Hlaing Tharya Township police station.

Nang Wo Phan, originally from Mong Pahlyo Township in Shan State, asked police officers to investigate the matter but they decided to hand the case over to Bureau of Special Investigations, according to her lawyer Ei Ei Aung.

“She was taken by the police on March 21 and interrogated for the whole night and was very scared—the police left her alone in the room—and then it was on March 24 that she fell from the window,” Ei Ei Aung told Yangon Press International.

Bureau of Special Investigations officers have refused to disclose any information about the incident and even intimidated nearby office workers not to discuss what happened, prompting an angry response from the public.

“That organization is run by thugs,” said The Irrawaddy reader Zaw Min Lay. “When I was there, I saw by myself that people died while being investigated. They torture innocent people all the time. There is no limit for them to do the same thing to anyone. Criminals!”

Another reader, Nay San Thu, said: “Why do they keep it secret? This is a very sad news. Who can solve this criminal case truthfully? The president should take this case seriously if he really wants to build a democratic country.”

Nang Wo Phan's funeral was held at a cemetery Hlaing Tharya Township, on Monday. Police attended the event and even prohibited her family from talking to the media, claim journalists present at the time.

One Bureau of Special Investigations officer who spoke to The Irrawaddy on condition of anonymity said his colleagues are extremely worried that their superiors in Naypyidaw hear what occurred.

“They are worried this will cause a big problem if anyone knows what happened,” he said. “Everyone in the office has been told not to answer any questions about this incident. If this is known outside then our officers will lose their dignity and respect.”

Col Tin Win, minister for security of Rangoon Division, played down the incident when speaking to Rangoon-based journal Venus News.

“During interrogation she had a dizzy spell and started to vomit and then fell out of the window,” he said.

Ye Tun, a Member of Parliament for the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party representing Thibaw Township in Shan State, said he was going to bring up the matter in Parliament in order to force a thorough investigation of the case.



COMMENTS (6)
 
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shwe moe Wrote:
29/03/2012
Nang Wo Phan died after falling from a Rangoon police station window after three days of interrogation is no accident; my gut feeling is they raped her and then silenced her by pushing her out from the 5th floor. It is hard to swallow that she had a dizzy spell and came flying out of the window...this is the same old bull we have to keep up with Col Tin Win. It is time you and the interrogators meet the same fate. I like to push you butt heads out one-by-one.

luusoelay Wrote:
29/03/2012
So shall we all believe that the media is always a white color according to the U Kyaw San.. what ever dup is. or bloody brutal RED?

Shwe Maung Wrote:
29/03/2012
All thugs in SBI should be burned alive. They have never done anything good to the country or people, but just profited from the country in anyway they can abusing their power. Our whole society should be ashamed of having people like them still calling themselves Buddhists. Shame, shame, shame!

Kyaw Kyaw Wrote:
29/03/2012
What a shame this occured during the changed of phase. Thorough investigation must be carried out to clean up this mess by the President Thein Sein Government. I am sure he will so it is safe for the public

Ohn Wrote:
29/03/2012
"“During interrogation she had a dizzy spell and started to vomit and then fell out of the window,” he said."

Like a top perhaps! Or sudden change in gravity?

See, quite a fright for the poor police.

President U Thein Sein who enjoys absolute faith of Aung San Suu Kyi led CIVILIAN government complete with "Parliament" of upper and lower houses with built-in "speakers".

It has astonishingly established democracy in Burma endorsed resoundingly by all dissident journalists.

It is better than nearby countries so that the whole world can now enjoy the wealth of Burma Land with impunity and feel well protected by those nice policemen. (So long as one doesn't get dizzy.)

Welcome Najib! Come and join the fray. Don't miss out.

Danu Maung Wrote:
29/03/2012
This incident should be thoroghly investigated. Such tragedy should not happen at the time of a new civilian democratic government. BSI should be reformed and reorganized to get rid of those who abuse human rights. Justice should fall on people who have broken civil rights.

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