Two Myanmar military-appointed village administrators have been shot dead by People’s Defense Forces ({PDF} in Mandalay Region in the last two weeks, as part of local resistance groups ongoing efforts to “weaken the pillars of military administration” in the region.
U Aung Khaing Win, the administrator of Theingone Village in Mahlaing Township, Mandalay Region was killed on Friday by members of the Mahlaing People’s Defence Force (PDF) while on his way to another village.
“Two PDF members on a motorbike approached him and shot four bullets at him. He died on the spot,” a member of Mahlaing-PDF said.
Mahlaing-PDF also claimed responsibility for shooting and killing U Sein Win, an administrator from nearby Kyauktan Village, with six shots at his home on January 30.
“We will attack any group or person associated with the junta as much as we can,” a Mahlaing-PDF member said.
In March last year, Kyauktan villagers burned two policemen’s motorcycles during anti-regime protests. Another village administrator was also killed in 2021.
The deaths of the administrators in Mahlaing Township are the latest in a series of assassinations of military regime-appointed local officials that started in March last year after the junta brutally cracked down on anti-coup protesters.
Many local officials have been accused of being junta informants.
As of January 20 this year, a total of 367 junta administration officials have been killed nationwide, while another 336 have been wounded, according to regime figures.
Mahlaing-PDF also bombed the government electricity office and municipal department in Wundwin Township and Kyaukpadaung Township last year, causing some casualties.
On January 30, the group also bombed a military-owned telecom tower and the house of a ward administrator from Wundwin Township.
The military regime is still unable to fully control the country thanks to daily attacks by PDFs and ethnic armed organizations.
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