A License to Torture ? Ma Khin41, a female NGO staff member who was detained in Yangon, recalled her encounter during interrogations, “All police officers who detained me and military personnel who safeguarded the interrogation center are only male. Male military personnel watched me when I was trying to sleep. So, I could not sleep well. They also stood and waited at the door of the bathroom when I showered in the bathroom.” Ma Khin also said that a woman in early stage of pregnancy experienced miscarriage as she was interrogated by the military personnel and denied medical access for several hours despite heavy bleeding. Z42 is an LGBT student in Yangon, who actively participated in peaceful protests after the February 2021 coup attempt. He was arrested by police officers from Tamwe Township Police Force and soldiers from the 77th Light Infantry Division of the army after participating in a flash mob in Tamwe township, Yangon on May 7, 2021. Seven protesters including Z were beaten by gun butt in the face, head and cheek in a double cab while being brought to Tamwe township police station. In Tamwe police state detention, the soldiers slapped, punched, kicked and hit him with military boots and gun butt in the face. The leader of the soldiers penetrated a burning cigarette into his right ear for several times. When the soldier realized he is a LGBT, they made verbal assault regarding his sexual orientation and encouraged the other criminals in the detention to gang-rape him. Then, a soldier and a criminal raped Z while other criminals tied him. Z was then sent to the Shwe Pyi Thar interrogation center on another day. He suffered from similar torture on the first day at the interrogation center then kept there for four days before being sent to Insein Prison. “They all kicked my right ribs. Military boots are very hard. Now, I have a few ribs curved, which causes severe pain sometimes. My right ear has only very little hearing now. It is almost deaf. I don’t know which part of my right ear was affected as I did not have right to health in prison as well,” Z shared about his physical health. In Sagaing Region’s Indaw township, a young lady from Nant Thae village was detained and taken to the Indaw police station in early 2023. After encountering sexual abuse in the police station for three days, she was taken to an interrogation center where she was hit by a hammer to death.43 The junta’s security forces detained a group of six youths while they were staging a peaceful anti-coup sticker campaign in Chauk township, Magway Region on February 21, 2022. Eventually more than 20 people including five girls and women were arrested as the security forces also arrested their friends and family members. The accused face inhumane treatments including applying burning cigarettes to their reproductive organs in the interrogation center.44 41 Pseudonym. 42 The name the interviewee used to identify. 43 Equality Myanmar Documentation. 44 Equality Myanmar Documentation. 29 Equality Myanmar