Man sentenced to death for rape and murder of nine-year-old girl in Anjanapura

By Admin 10 Oct 2026

DMG Newsroom

10 October 2026, Anjanapura

A district court has sentenced a man to death after finding him guilty of raping and murdering a young girl in Pharpyo Village, Anjanapura Township, Arakan State.

The Anjanapura District Court handed down the death sentence on October 9 following a trial.

"I am pleased that the court rendered a fair judgment in full accordance with the law," a Pharpyo Village resident told DMG. "Although the trial took time, we are satisfied that the truth was uncovered and that the perpetrator received the punishment he deserved."

The condemned man was identified as 38-year-old U Maung Hla Than, a resident of Pharpyo Village. He was convicted of raping and murdering a nine-year-old girl before hanging her body from a tree to stage a suicide.

In addition to sentencing the man to death, the court acquitted and released seven other Pharpyo residents who had initially been detained on suspicion during the investigation.

Formal court proceedings began on May 15, 2025. After examining 10 prosecution witnesses and conducting cross examinations involving both sides, the court found the accused guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and imposed the death penalty.

The crime occurred on May 6, 2025, when U Maung Hla Than sexually assaulted and murdered the nine-year-old child in Pharpyo Village before hanging her body from a tree.

Officers from the Department of Law Enforcement and Public Security (DLEPS), under the United League of Arakan (ULA), arrested U Maung Hla Than on May 7, 2025. A month later, authorities detained seven other local residents for questioning as part of the broader investigation before clearing them of all charges.

In a similar case on August 5, 2026, the Sittwe District Court sentenced three men to death and long-term imprisonment for their involvement in a fatal sexual assault case in Aungseik Village, Ponnagyun Township.

The Arakan Army (AA) has established specialized judicial courts across Arakan State to handle serious criminal offenses, including statutory rape, sexual violence, and homicide, and to ensure legal accountability.

According to human rights records, at least 17 cases of sexual violence, including rape and murder, were documented across Arakan State and Paletwa Township in Chin State between January 2024 and August 2026, with perpetrators remaining at large in several unsolved cases.