Written by Daung Myee
Mandaing September 15, 2025.
After apprehending and torturing an anti-coup activist, security forces from the Military Commission shackled his legs in a detention cell. A soldier then explained that the cell was haunted, claiming several detainees had recently died there.
The soldier added that the situation would be worse if the monks’ Dhamma sermons were played. He then plunged the cell into darkness, locked the door from the outside, and left a phone on the window ledge, playing a recording of a sermon.
“When I went to check on the activist in the morning, he was dead. That room is really haunted,” said a sergeant from the military commission who personally participated in the torture.
Between the three months from February and May of 2021, about seven civilians were tortured to death in that cell following the military coup. Security forces from the Military Commission nicknamed the detention center “Hell’s Chamber.”
The location of “Hell’s Chamber” is inside the junta army’s 959th (Electrical/ Mechanical) Battalion (Lalasa 959), in Pyay Town, located in the western Bago Region.
Pyay, a city in the western Bago Region of Myanmar, has a rich history as a historically significant port and commercial hub. Once known as Prome, the city is situated on the eastern bank of the Irrawaddy River. It also holds a deep connection to the Pyu people, an early Tibeto-Burman group whose ancient capital, Śrī Kṣetra (meaning “City of Splendour”), was likely built in the 7th century just southeast of the modern town.
The Town is also home to several well-known military combat battalions and administrative units. These include the 75th Light Infantry Battalion (Khalaya 75), which is stationed under the 66th Infantry Battalion (Tamakha 66) Headquarters in Innma town which is located in Thegon township, Western Bago Region.
Other units in Pyay are the 14th Light Infantry Battalion (Khalaya 14), the Communications Battalion (Signals Corps), the Support/Logistics Battalion, and the Recruiting Battalion. The town also hosts key administrative and security offices, such as the Tatmadaw Audit Office, the Military Security Affairs Battalion, the No. 6, 100-bed Hospital (Tasaya 6/100), and the Regional Command Headquarters-Pyay or Pyay Regional Operations Command (Pyay-Dakasa).
But after the coup, it was the 959th (Electrical/ Mechanical) Battalion that took the lead in violently cracking down on anti-coup protesters, arresting civilians, and torturing and killing detainees.
In fact, 959 Battalion is a local army unit located in the Kṣetra Ward of Pyay, one of the town’s 11 wards. This proximity makes it the military unit closest to the residents of Pyay Township. For locals looking to join the military but wanting to avoid combat, the 959 Battalion was the top choice.
The children of soldiers from the 959 Battalion are deeply integrated into the local community. They are graduates of the local high school, Basic Education High School No. 5 in Kṣetra Ward, and are close friends with many of the neighbourhood kids. They are not strangers in the community but are familiar faces, often sharing meals and spending time in local homes.
The 959 Battalion is situated at a key point in Pyay, defined by several important landmarks. To the south, the battalion is bordered by the Yangon-Pyay railway line and Basic Education High School No. 5, along with the Kṣetra Ward market. To the east is the Pyay Computer University. The battalion’s western side is marked by the intersection of Lam Thit Road and the Officers’ Residence. Finally, to the north are the Pyay-Mandalay Road and the Pyay Tharyar Ward, completing a clear picture of its surroundings.
The “Hell’s Chamber” itself was a dilapidated building adjacent to the computer university. Although its original purpose is unknown, former soldiers and survivors from the (Electric/Mechanical) Battalion confirmed it was repurposed as a site for torture and killing. Victims were brought here from the battalion’s central guard post for interrogation.
Arrests in the Western Bago Region were a coordinated effort led by the Pyay Regional Operations Command (Pyay-Dakasa). They were assisted by the Special Branch (SB) police, which serves as the national police force’s intelligence bureau, and later by its Special Investigations Department, and the local ward and village administrators, accompanying them during the arrest, and checking whether the person to be arrested is at home, and by confirming the residence of the person to be arrested by the Ward/Village Administrators, confirming whether the person is at home, and accompanying them during the arrest.
Detainees were held at various sites, including the central guard posts of Pyay-Dakasa, Battalion 75, and Battalion 959, as well as the District Police Detention Center at Police Station No. 3, a special facility for re-detaining police officers who had committed crimes. Interrogators would move between these locations to conduct their questioning.
The arrested individuals were also taken to the Kṣetra City Hall in Muyarpin Ward for further interrogation before being returned to their respective detention centers.
The central guard post at Battalion 959 had a two-room cell. One room was approximately eight feet wide, and the other was about ten feet wide. The cell had wooden beams on one side and brick walls on the other three. In front of the cell was the central guard post’s hall, while the armoury was on the opposite side.
According to former soldiers who escaped Battalion 959, detainees returned to the battalion’s central guard post after interrogation were subjected to further beatings and torture. They were also taken to the “Hell’s Chamber,” located about 200 yards away, for more abuse.
While the exact details of each death at Battalion 959 are not recorded, former soldiers who participated in the interrogations estimated that at least 20 people died in total, including seven who perished inside the “Hell’s Chamber.”
A notorious torture site, known as ‘Hell’s Chamber,’ in Pyay
When a political dissident who is against the military is about to be arrested, a captain from Pyay-Dakasa leads the arrest, accompanied by his security forces, an SB police officer, and the local administrator.
When arrested, they are often beaten in front of their homes, as well as in the vehicle they are taken to. They are also beaten at the detention center. They are also tortured and questioned during interrogation.
Sometimes, Dakasa officer ordered security forces to beat detainees when they were arrested and handed over to the 959 battalion’s central guard post.
“They’d say something like, ‘Give this guy a warm welcome,’ and as soon as the paperwork was registered, the guards at the central post would start beating us,” said a political prisoner in Pyay Township who was detained at the 959 Battalion.
The methods were brutal and designed to inflict maximum pain. They would soak a vest in water before beating someone to avoid leaving visible marks. The beating is not noticeable at the beginning, but after 10 or 15 minutes, the pain becomes unbearable. A wooden stick is placed on the shin bone, and two soldiers are asked to stand on either end. Detainees were forced to kneel on small stones on the floor or do push-ups with their hands on their backs.
In addition, those who have been through interrogations by Battalion 959 said that they are often forced to insert G3 rifle bullets between their fists, and then they are punched in the ribs, in the forehead and head, and beaten with large wires about 1 inch in diameter.
The torture was often arbitrary. Even when there are explosions and shootings in the city, the soldiers would drag detainees out of their cells for a beating.
“We also have to pray that there won’t be any explosions or shootings outside. If something happens outside, the soldiers will beat us up,” a resident in Pyay who was arrested and beaten in the detention center told the Mandaing Media.
The time when the detainees at the 959 Central Guard Post were led by an officer to come and be interrogated was between 8:30 PM and 10:30 PM. As soon as their vehicle arrived, the soldier guarding the Central Guard Post stood up and saluted them. At that time, they were taken away and sent back at around 1:00 AM. They were kept in custody all day during day and at night, and they were regularly called to the interrogation room according to the above schedule and tortured.
“When I hear the sound of the guard saluting from Central Guard Post, we’d get goosebumps,” said a man who was released from the detention center. “We would just look at each other, wondering whose turn it was. If you weren’t called by 10:30 p.m., you knew you were safe for the night.”
A detainee who went through the interrogation process shared his experience that the fact that military commission members inform those who will be interrogated is the first indication that they have the right to beat and examine them during the interrogation, even if it results in death.
A young man who was being held for interrogation was blindfolded and handcuffed by military commission members while being fed rice. He was forced to eat from a bowl placed on a bench while being blindfolded and handcuffed by military council members. If he refused to eat, he was beaten.
“With his hands cuffed behind him, he had to eat like a dog,” an eyewitness explained. “Blindfolded, he couldn’t see, and the plate fell to the floor. They cursed at him, beat him, and kicked him for spilling it. Then they forced him to eat the rice off the ground.”
Political prisoners who were detained held in the 959 Battalion detention center said that those arrested were not sent to prison or police stations and were subjected to daily beatings in interrogation and torture chambers.
Those arrested were beaten during interrogation by soldiers on duty while they were being held at the central checkpoint, by soldiers returning from patrols, and by drunken soldiers.
A soldier who defected from the military’s 959th Battalion said he personally witnessed a male detainee being tortured to death one night. According to him, around 30 junta troops took turns beating and torturing the man throughout the night “for fun” after he was sent to an interrogation center known as “Hell’s Chamber.”
Due to the injuries he sustained from being beaten all night, the detainee died shortly after drinking water given to him by a junta soldier during the morning guard shift change.
The so-called “Hell’s Chamber” was not used for military interrogation purposes, but rather as a place where soldiers from the 959th Battalion deliberately took detained protesters to torture and kill them for their own amusement or to relieve boredom. Residents say that as the death toll increased, the Pyay-Dakasa officially banned such practices at the site after May 2021.
The Butchers of Unit 959
A former political prisoner who was once detained at the 959th Battalion’s cell has shared names of those considered among the most brutal within that battalion.
In that battalion, a Company Quarter Master Sergeant called “R Gyi” from Ksetra Ward, a short, stocky mechanic sergeant, from Kshetra Ward, a dark-skinned and illiterate sergeant (corporal at that time), Aung Myint Soe, were the most involved in the killings.
“The worst was Sergeant Aung Myint Soe,” a survivor said. “He acted like he was a professional interrogator. He was the deputy commander of the central guard post, and anyone who arrived on his shift was beaten half to death.”
A former member of the NLD-era village or town who was arrested in November 2021 was also detained in the district-level cell at Police Station No. 3 and then briefly detained at the 959 Battalion before being released on bail. He was told that he would be released, but shortly after, he was taken out of the cell by the deputy guard, Aung Soe Myint, and tortured. After being tormented all night, the Pyay-Dakasa came to take him out the next morning.
Additionally, a witness reported that Aung Myint Soe beat a tuition teacher from Si Sone Kone village, who had been arrested on suspicion of murdering the village administrator, continuously for an entire day.
At that time, the commander of the Pyay Regional Operations Command (Pyay-Dakasa) was Brigadier General Aung Naing Oo. According to personnel within the battalion, he was not present at the Dakasa office during the 959th’s military operations, as he was away attending a training course.
The 959th Battalion’s interrogation operations were led by Colonel Kaung Myat, the deputy commander (who, according to those close to him, reportedly surrendered to the ULA/AA in Maungdaw in early June 2024). He was known for wearing only plain civilian clothes instead of a uniform. He had fair skin, was of good height, and wore slim-framed glasses.
Serving under him were Major Thant Sin (who died in a 2022 battle in Paungde Township) and Major Yan Naung Soe. Arrests and interrogations were carried out by Captain Chan Myae Aung, Captain Zaw Htet, and two other captains. Captain Chan Myae Aung, who drove an unlicensed grey Inside car, was about 38 years old and dressed neatly in a long-sleeved, ironed shirt and a traditional shawl. He was notorious for his brutal interrogation methods.
Four civilians were given the same authority as the Dakasa officials. One was the son of a former military officer who ran a bar in the Ksetra Highway Terminal and was a crime reporter. He died of illness in 2022. The other two were civilians who supported the military.
The last one was a man known as Sayar Rakhine Gyi, a retired Special Branch (SB) officer who had held the rank of sergeant. Among those with significant influence were Rakhine Gyi and civilian military supporters like Thurein Win (also known as Yarzar). Both had enough power to torture detainees, secure their release through bribes or donations, or ensure they received long prison sentences if they chose.
At the 959th Battalion, detainees could sometimes secure their release if their families paid money. Thurein Win personally coordinated the collection of these payments. However, because Yarzar misappropriated a large portion of the money, Pyay-Dakasa authorities charged him under Section 505 (misuse) and sentenced him to two years in prison.
Bloodshed in the City
The 959th Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Battalion (also known as Lalasa 959) is located in the center of Pyay Town. It is a unit composed largely of residents and is well-acquainted with the community.
The battalion’s duties include vehicle repair, weapon maintenance, repairing military-owned electrical equipment, and handling other mechanical tasks. When on active deployment, it accompanies convoys of military or requisitioned vehicles; if those vehicles break down, the battalion is responsible for repairing them.
However, since the military takeover, the 959 Battalion has also taken on responsibilities for crowd control during protests—using firearms and explosives—and has assumed control over the city’s security. Additionally, it has carried out detention and interrogation duties.
The 959 Battalion itself used force to break up protests in the town center and has taken control of urban security.
Moreover, soldiers from the No. 3 Defence Equipment Factory (Directorate of Defence Industries (DDI) so-called KaPaSa factories in SinTae Village, located on the opposite bank of Pyay town, in Pandaung Township, also assist with city security. Many of those soldiers from KaPaSa‑3 are stationed at security checkpoints such as the No. 3 police station gate at the town entry from the Pyay‑Mandalay Road, the Phoe Khaung Chaung bridge gate on the Pyay–Nawaday sugar factory road, the Yangon‑Pyay Road gate, and the Sin Ma Kyat Gate at the town entrance. These deployments ensure that the 959 Battalion is responsible for internal city security.
In May, during the night in Ksetra Ward near the ward administration office, a man was shot dead. This act was also carried out by the 959 Battalion.
“I was on duty providing security for the ward office. When I saw the man, they dragged him off with a G-3 (BA-63) rifle. Just one shot. He died instantly. I personally had to dig a hole and bury the body,” said a soldier, around 19 years old, who claimed to have fired the shot.
Because the offence was a crime committed within the battalion, this person told this event while being detained at the central guard post.
At that time, in the town there was a curfew at night. Anyone found in the streets was allowed to be shot — that is what he said.
Furthermore, the 959 Battalion itself carried out shootings to suppress protesters in the town. In the first week of March, three people were killed in a shooting using real bullets. In that incident, one young person’s jaw was broken.
In addition, on 2/2 street in Ksetra ward during a protest, two women over 60 years old had their doors broken in houses and entries forced; money donated to support the monks was seized — the unit responsible for that was also the 959 Battalion.
Nonetheless, when violent actions or arrests were committed, even though soldiers from the 959 Battalion sometimes covered their insignia or wore other units’ patches, locals easily recognised them as being members of the 959 Battalion.
Among those who passed through the 959 Battalion, the last place many survivors saw each other was the town prison. However, some who were detained and interrogated harshly at 959 never made it to the town prison, nor were they ever able to return home.
Among the casualties of the Spring Revolution are over 7,000 activists and civilians who died as a result of actions by the military and its allies, according to a September 1 statement from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), the military has arrested nearly 30,000 people since the coup, with over 22,000 still in detention. More than 7,000 civilians and activists have been killed by the junta and its affiliates.
The 959 Battalion is comprised of soldiers local to the town. After the military seized power, the soldiers of the 959 Battalion — those who are part of the junta forces — have acted without regard for the faces of the townspeople or the general public, doing whatever the military wishes, according to a political activist from the town.
“I used to think things weren’t that bad at 959. But after hearing about what was happening, I finally accepted that a soldier is not a civilian.”
“When we heard someone was being held at Battalion 959, we thought it wouldn’t be so bad because they were locals,” said a political activist from Pyay. “But after hearing these stories, I’ve come to accept the saying: a soldier is not a civilian.”
