_by Tayza Thuria

                              Rangoon Mayanggone Township court has started a hearing on the death of Aung Hlaing Win, a youth member of the National League for Democracy (NLD), who was possibly tortured and killed during an interrogation by the military authorities.
The incident was reported to the local police station on 18 May by the victim’s family and the hearing started on 1 June, according to sources from the NLD.
                             The Mayanggone police station master, an investigation officer and the local authorities cross-examined at the court. The victim’s wife Ma Hnin Sandar and daughter Shan Shan are not questioned.
                             30-year old Aung Hlaing Win, a Hlaing Township NLD youth member, was arrested on 1 May by four ‘unknown’ people in civilian clothing, while he was having his meal at the local restaurant called ‘Lucky’. On 10 May, a team of military intelligence agents led by Lt Col Min Hlaing came to his house and told his wife that her husband died from heart attack while he was being ‘interrogated’.
                             When the family asked the agents to return Aung Hlaing Win’s corpse, they were told that he had already been buried, and the amount of 100,000 kyat was offered as compensation. The family declined the offer.
                             His wife sued the SPDC on May 18th at Mayangone Police Station, Rangoon Division.
                             Mayangone court heard testimony from the military officials who arrested him and alleged to have tortured Ko Aung Hlaing Win. Captain Sai Aung Win, Captain Zaw Min Kyaw and the Chairman of Quarter Authority, on June 3rd. Captain Sai Aung Win is said to have misled the court when he said that Ko Hlaing Win was arrested on the May 6th. In fact, he was arrested on the May 1st.
                             The Mayangon township court's ruling confirmed for the first time that Aung Hlaing Win died while in custody. The court heard a doctor's inspection found Aung Hlaing Win's body showed 24 injuries including bruises.
                             On June 7th, Dr Zaw Zaw Oo, who is serving in North Oakkalapa Hospital, testified as follows:_
    (1) Ko Aung Hlaing Win died before he got to the hospital and was sent to the hospital as a corpse;
    (2) Dr. Zaw Zaw Oo and four medical specialists found 24 external wounds on the body;
    (3) 3 ribs were fractured, and a fourth rib was broken causing bruising to his heart;
    (4) Bruising was found around his throat and trachea, and also his stomach and colon were found to be decaying.
                Dr. Zaw Zaw Oo testified and the medical report was confirmed by four medical specialists.
                            U Aung Thein, a lawyer from National League for Democracy, representing the wife of Ko Aung Hlaing Win, was not allowed to defend his client, and he could only listen to the proceedings.
                            But  on Friday the court ruled that the mysterious death in custody was because of his chronic liver illness and not from interrogation.  

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