Village Head Shot Dead at His Home in Rakhine State

By Min Aung Khine 13 February 2019

A General Administrative Department officer was shot dead at his home in Rakhine State’s Minbya Township on Tuesday night.

Two unidentified gunmen shot U Maung Kyaw, 50, the head of Kyauk Khot village, at his home after 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Tharyarkone village administrator U Maung Tun told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday. Kyauk Khot is one of six villages in Tharyarkone village tract.

U Maung Kyaw’s family members were not home when he was shot.

“He was shot and killed at his home. We heard two men come to his house and one pulled the trigger,” the village administrator said.

U Maung Tun added, “His family members were at their noodle-making business. His daughter was warming herself at a fire with neighbors and ran back home when she heard the gunfire. She saw two men leaving their house.”

U Maung Kyaw died after being shot four times, and his body was sent to Minbya Hospital, according to Police Captain Mya Zaw from Minbya Myoma Police Station.

He confirmed the killing but added, “We cannot provide further details of the case, as the body was taken to the hospital.”

Rakhine State has seen a rash of fatal shootings of villagers, but authorities have yet to identify suspects or motives.

On the night of Jan. 22, U Maung Aye Thein, 56, a resident of Pan Myaung village in Minbya Township was shot dead by an unidentified gunman.

A month earlier on Dec. 24, 2018, U Khin Than Maung, a central committee member of the Arakan League for Democracy party from Kyar Inn Taung village in Myaybon Township was shot dead at his home while watching television.