RANGOON — A man in Rangoon attacked his employer and members of his employer’s family, the victims say, after he was confronted for allegedly attempting to rape an underage woman on Sunday.
Police confirmed the incident on Tuesday but declined to provide any additional information on the dispute that erupted in Thuwana, a neighborhood in Rangoon.
The alleged attacker, Ye Thu Win, was employed in the construction industry by Kyaw Swar Myint, who is also a columnist for the Rangoon-based journal Tomorrow Weekly. According to the victims, Ye Thu Win visited his employer’s home on Sunday night and asked a 17-year-old relative of Kyaw Swar Myint’s wife to help him carry packages from his car, at which point he is accused of having attempted to rape her inside the vehicle.
Ye Thu Win allegedly tried to threaten the young woman into silence, but she told her family. On being asked about the incident, Ye Thu Win is said to have taken a dagger to Kyaw Swar Myint’s family, severely wounding his wife, who was taken to San Pya Hospital for treatment.
“I never expected him to respond like this,” said Kyaw Swar Myint.
Police are currently looking for Ye Thu Win, who fled after the alleged attack. Kyaw Swar Myint’s family is seeking to charge him for assault and attempted rape under articles 326, 376 and 511 of the Burmese Penal Code.
