Mandalay rape case that triggered riots was fabricated, govt says

The Sun Café teashop worker identified herself as Soe Soe, 25, from Butalin Township, accused her employer San Maung, 40, and his brother Ne Win of raping her.

She said she was closing the shop at 10 pm on June 28 when her employer told her she would be given a new job at teashop in Nay Pyi Taw. She went along with the two in a white vehicle, but the car stopped on Pyinmana-Taungnyo road around 3 am and she was raped by the two brothers. The two then ran away after raping her, according to her complaint at PyinmanaMyoma Police Station.

The criminal police investigated the case and found out that her real name is PhyuPhyu Min, also known as Gatonema, 30, whose real birthplace is Chanayethazan Township in Mandalay. She had never worked at Sun Café and no forensic evidence of rape and physical injuries were found in the medical examination. After the police looked into the case, she confessed that she had made a false report at Pyinmana police station of being raped by San Maung and Ne Win after she was paid by Ye Htut, also known as Thura Ye Htut, and Nu Nu Myat.

Phyu Phyu Min married Min Thura Zaw, also known as Nomo Harmed, in February 2007. When her husband was being tried in drug case in September 2013, she became acquainted with Ye Htut and Nu Nu Myat. The Mandalay District Court sentenced 16-year prison term to Min Thura Zaw and 12-year prison sentence each to his aunt Khin Mar Lwin and Ni Ni Htay.

Khin Mar Lwin’s husband Khin Maung Htwe, also known as KoHtwe, Ye Htut and Min Thura Zaw’s mother Marlar were dissatisfied with the prison terms and caused a scene inside the court. The Mandalay District Court’s clerk Tin Maung Win filed a case against them and they are facing a trial in Chanmyaethazan Township Court.

Khin Maung Htwe, Ye Htut, and Marlar dissatisfied with the case opened against them and arranged for a woman named HaymarKyaw to make a false report of being raped by the district court’s clerk Tin Maung Win. Marlar, Phyu Ma, also known as Phyu Phyu Zaw, and Haymar Kyaw went to the Pyin Oo Lwin police station and reported that Tin Maung Win raped her at Pearl motel, following the instructions from Ye Htut and Nu NuMyat.

Ye Htut and Nu Nu Myat are acquainted with Haji TunTun, who lives at Sagaing feeder road in Mandalay. Haji TunTun has a social issue with Sun Café owner San Maung and Ne Win. Haji Tun Tun has been charged with Section 376 by Sagaing Police Station for raping his employee Kathy Khine, also known as Cherry Thein, 27, in May. He blamed San Maung and Ne Win for inciting the case against him so he asked for Ye Htut’s help to make them face long prison term.

Ye Htut and Nu Nu Myat used PhyuPhyu Min, who needed money after her husband was sentenced to prison for drug case, and arranged for her to make a false report that she was raped by San Maung and Ne Win. They took Phyu Phyu Min to their house in June and taught her what to say and told her that she would be given Ks 1 million if she was successful.

Then, Phyu Phyu Min, Ye Htut, Nu Nu Myat, and Phyu Phyu Zaw went to Pyinmana on the night of June 26 and showed the area where PhyuPhyu Min was going to say she was raped and the town’s situation. On the night of June 29, they paid Ks 25,000 to Phyu Phyu Min and left her near the Bogyoke statue in Pyinmana. She took a motorcycle taxi to Pyinmana Police Station and filed the false report that she was raped by Ne Win and San Maung.

The false case filed by Phyu Phyu Min in Pyinmana has been closed on July 17 and the police are trying to take action against Haymar Kyaw and Marlar who filed a false rape report in Pyin Oo Lwin. Phyu Phyu Min and Nu Nu Myat have been caught while Ye Htut, Haymar Kyaw, and Marlar are still on the run.