Four people have now been arrested in the case of two teenage maids who were abused for years by a family that owns a tailor shop in Yangon while the office for Myanmar’s president has issued a statement about the growing controversy.
The detained suspects have been identified by the Yangon Regional Police Force in a post on Facebook as Daw Tin Thuzar, 57, Tin Min Latt, 37, Su Mon Latt, 27, U Ko Latt, 63.
Authorities are acting fast in an apparent attempt to tamp down outrage after it was revealed that a reporter from Myanmar Now had contacted police months ago about the case but they failed to act.
The reporter, Swe Win, had received a tip about the plight of San Kay Khine, 16 and Tha Zin, 17, who lived with the owners of the AVA tailor shop on 40th street as maids. But the police were slow to act on the original complaint, prompting Swe Win to contact the national human rights commission, which got involved and negotiated compensation for the years of abuse.
The slow response and lack of accountability sparked widespread outrage, a protest outside the commission on Wednesday, and a petition calling for members to resign.
San Kay Khine suffered broken bones, was attacked with scissors, and had burned skin. Tha Zin’s nose was cut with a knife but her injuries were not as severe.
The case went viral on social media in Myanmar after photos of the wounds appeared online. There was also the fact that the two victims are from Kawhmu in Yangon region, which is Aung San Suu Kyi’s constituency.
In a statement on Facebook today, the office of Myanmar’s president said it had asked the Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure the victims are safe and protected and to gather more information about the case. It also said that the office was monitoring the activity of the rights commission, which is on the defensive but had admitted no wrongdoing.
The controversy reached the halls of parliament too, where MPs have agreed to discuss it.
According to 7Day news, the Union Minister of Social Affairs, Rescue and Rehabilitation is helping the two women with the recovery process and has filed a complaint with authorities on behalf of them.
The suspects are facing human trafficking charges.
“We didn’t know about the case but we took responsibility when we knew,” the minister was quoted as saying.
Reader Interactions