A married couple who were members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) were shot dead by unidentified gunmen at their home in Mandalay Region’s Myingyan Township on Friday night.
U Moe Hein, aged over 50, a well-known tutor and an executive member of Myingyan’s NLD, was shot dead together with his wife Ma Su Su Hlaing at their home at about 7 p.m. on Friday.
The assassination came after a junta-formed Pyu Saw Htee group on June 26 published a list of 38 Myingyan NLD members including the couple, saying it would take severe action against them if any attacks on government offices, schools, government staff, hospitals or other people occurred in the township.
A local told The Irrawaddy that the NLD couple were killed just a day or two after they came out of hiding and returned to their house in No. 3 ward in the town. The couple had been in hiding as the junta’s forces were hunting all NLD members in the township.
The local source said the unknown gunmen also scoured the house and seized a mobile phone belonging to the NLD members after killing them.
Some minutes later, junta forces arrived at the scene and arrested a civilian at a nearby house, according to local residents.
A funeral was held for the couple on Saturday morning.
Several ward and village administrators and junta personnel including junta informants have been attacked by unknown assailants in the township.
The civilian resistance fighters of the Seven People Defense Force and Zero Guerilla Force have claimed responsibility for some of the attacks in the township.
In mid-June, two detained civilians, including the son of a National League for Democracy (NLD) member, were shot dead by junta forces following a knife attack on an alleged junta informant in Myingyan, Mandalay Region.
Local residents said the military regime had also formed a Pyu Saw Htee group with pro-military supporters to counter the anti-regime movement in the township.
Pyu Saw Htee group members are trained and armed with firearms by the military.
Several people’s defense forces claimed in May that members of the Pyu Saw Htee groups are intentionally conducting crimes, bombings and arson attacks on school buildings and private property in order to blacken the name of the civilian resistance forces.
The people’s defense forces have announced that they will never harm schools or the lives and property of ordinary people.
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