The Myanmar military should end the detention of “amazing” mixed martial arts star Phoe Thaw, 36, say his friends, after the athlete was badly wounded in a bomb explosion and later arrested last week.
Phoe Thaw, a vocal opponent of the coup, was abducted in Yangon’s North Okkalapa General Hospital at about 3am on May 6 while receiving treatment for burns to his lower body sustained in the blast at his gym in Kandawgyi Park.
While the military alleges that he was testing a homemade bomb, charging the fighter for dissent under section 505A of the penal code, a former colleague told Reuters that the bomb had been left at the gym car park by a policeman posing as a civilian.
The military arrested at least three others linked to the incident, including his younger brother Kaung Sithu, a former member of the Myanmar national football team.
Phoe Thaw came to prominence not only because of his achievements in fight promotion One Championship but also because of his charity work, which includes the organization of blood donation drives and emergency relief efforts, said a close friend who asked for anonymity.
“He’s an amazing person, making friends where ever he goes,” the friend told Myanmar Mix. “He’s kind and generous and wants the best for the next generation.”
The friend praised Phoe Thaw’s sense of humour, work ethnic and “mental toughness” – recalling when the fighter earned his nickname “Bushido” (the warrior code of Japan) by battling through a karate match in the Philippines with a fractured leg.
Phoe Thaw, who also distributed personal protective equipment to healthcare workers during the pandemic and regularly visits a Yangon orphanage to motivate the children, made his MMA debut at the age of 30.
He has since accrued an 8-2 record with One Championship, becoming one of Myanmar’s most famous athletes alongside former ONE middleweight and light heavyweight champion Aung La Nsang, who spoke out in defence of the featherweight.
I’m sadden by the news about my good friend ko Phoe Thaw. According to News sources, he was involved in a bombing...
Posted by Aung La Nsang(Burmese Python) on Thursday, May 6, 2021
“Bushido”, a former taxi driver and property broker, is one of at least 3,826 people detained by the military since the coup on February 1, according to activist group the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).
Worries over Phoe Thaw are exacerbated by the junta’s treatment of detainees, including torture. AAPP figures put the number of people killed by security forces since the coup at 780 as of May 9.
Fellow martial artist Bozhena Antoniyar, 25, told news platform Myanmar Now that she had been told he was being treated at a military hospital.
“We must pray for a speedy recovery,” she said. “Ko Phoe Thaw is in good spirits."
