The following text is not a historical study. It is a retelling of the witness’s life story based on the memories recorded in the interview. The story was processed by external collaborators of the Memory of Nations. In some cases, the short biography draws on documents made available by the Security Forces Archives, State District Archives, National Archives, or other institutions. These are used merely to complement the witness’s testimony. The referenced pages of such files are saved in the Documents section.

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Aung Kyaw Moe (aka) Bo Tauk (* 1964)

While he was serving as (Township General Secretary of ) New Society Party, Ko Aung Kyaw Moe (aka) Bo Tauk distributed (pamphlets urging peasants to fight for their own chances) in Nyaung Lay Pin. Accordingly, Than Lwin, Detachment Captain of No.3 Military Intelligence, Nyaung Lay Pin arrested him on 20 November 1989 without any warrant. He was taken to Nyaung Lay Pin Intelligence Office and interrogated. During interrogation, they put the hood over his head and he was not allowed to drink water. He also did not receive enough food. He was not only punched for several times in his chest but also hit at his nape and beaten with bamboo stick. His one leg is disabled. Therefore, they hit the shin of his good leg with the stick for several times. Then, No. 1, Court-Martial, Bago sentenced him to 5 years imprisonment on 20 March 1990. He was moved from Bago Prison to Insein Prison and then to Tha Yet Prison.  While transferring from Insein Prison to Tha Yet Prison, he had walked with leg cuffs on the sandbank of Ayeyarwaddy river for almost 2 miles. When he arrived to the entrance of Tha Yet Prison, he was dropped off the car by kicking. In Tha Yet Prison, he had to collect water in the afternoon during summer season. Since he is a disabled person, he sat on the wall of the water well and hardly tried the well-water to get into the water bucket by controlling the string and bucket. When he was released from Tha Yet Prison at the end of his imprisonment, unlike others,  he was taken by the intelligence and they took him from Tha Yet to Aung Lan and then to Nat Ta Lin. When they arrived to Nat Ta Lin, he had to stay outside of the vehicle while intelligent officers were sleeping.  In December 1998 (or) 1999, he was arrested for the second time at his book shop in Nyaung Lay Pin with the reason of making some query by intelligence. He was sent to Nyaung Lay Pin detention and intelligence detachment captain U Tin Shwe brought his at around 5 pm in the next day. He was taken to No.3, Intelligence, Bago. They handcuffed his hand from the back and put the black hood over his head.  Then, he was transferred to another vehicle and moved to the next place. He was interrogated in that place for 8 nights and 9 days. They treated him inhumanly during interrogation and then send him back to No.3, Intelligence, Bago by covering his eyes.  Afterwards, he was sent to Nyaung Lay Pin and he was unconscious when he got down from the vehicle. His friends sent him to Dr. Myint Thein with trishaw and he came back to home when he recovered. Intelligence did not give back confiscated books and documents when he was freed.