Three police officers have been sentenced to two months' detention after a video showed them abusing Rohingya civilians, security sources said yesterday, saying those involved had "no intention" to cause harm.

The authorities detained several officers last month for beating Rohingya villagers during operations in the north of Rakhine state, where security forces are hunting down militants who are behind raids on border posts.

The video of the beating, which appeared online last December, led to a rare exception where the authorities have taken action.

The footage showed police hitting a young boy on the head as he walked towards dozens of villagers, who were seated on the ground and lined up in rows with their hands behind their heads.

Several officers in uniform then start attacking one of the sitting men, beating him with a stick and kicking him repeatedly in the face.