Two civilians were beaten to death in front of their family members by a joint force of Pyu Saw Htee (pro-junta armed group) and junta troops in Nyaung To Village, Myingyan Township, Mandalay Region, according to locals.

The two victims were identified as Aung Nyunt and San Aung, both in their 50s, from Nyaung To village.

Aung Nyunt, who was fleeing to his daughter's house in another village had to return back to Nyaung To village because he was threatened by the military troops if he did not return, and that they would burn his house down. Aung Nyunt's two children are currently living at his house in Nyaung To village and he returned home on 17 February.

“As soon as he returned home, the junta’s soldiers and Pyu Saw Htee entered the house and started beating him at around 4 p.m. And, he died at about 8 p.m. They said he was working for the village charity. He was beaten to death because they hated him and were jealous of him,” a local person from Myingyan who knew about the incident said.

The other victim, San Aung, was beaten to death for renting his loudspeakers for anti-junta protests, a local source said.

A total of 50 people regime members, 20 soldiers stationed at Nyaung To village school and 30 members of Pyu Saw Htee, came to his house on 15 February at around 8 p.m. and beat him.

His sons, Tun Tun Oo and Than Htike Oo were also beaten along with San Aung, in front of other family members.

San Aung was taken to Myingyan District Hospital the same day with serious injuries, but was not treated by the hospital because the junta reportedly prevented it. He was taken to NganZun hospital but was also denied treatment, according to locals.

San Aung died of his injuries on November 17, two days after being beaten, according to a local source.

His two sons who were beaten along with him were seriously injured but there is no potential danger to their lives. They were being treated with short-acting traditional medicines, the local source explained.

Nyaung To is a village about 10 miles north of Myingyan district in Mandalay Region of central Myanmar.