SITTWE—A resident of Pann Myaung village in Rakhine State’s Minbya Township was shot dead in front of his house on Wednesday evening, according to township police.
U Maung Aye Thein, 56, was shot five times at close range at around 9 p.m., Police Captain Mya Zaw told The Irrawaddy.
“He saw somebody trying to open the gate in his fence. Thinking it was a guest, he went outside and approached the gate. He was shot near the fence,” the police officer told The Irrawaddy.
U Aye Maung Thein sustained five gunshot wounds and died on the spot. His body was sent to a local hospital for a post-mortem examination.
The motive for the killing was not immediately clear. The victim, who made a living by doing odd jobs, was an ex-member of the Union Solidarity and Development Party and formerly served as a 10-household administrator and auxiliary firefighter, Pol. Capt. Mya Zaw said.
“Villagers didn’t see anything. They said they heard something like a firecracker. His wife said she saw the gunman. She said he is not a local,” he said.
There are over 1,400 households in Pann Myang village, and locals have been in a state of panic since the murder, he said.
“We are still gathering information. So we still don’t know the motive for the murder. And we are still investigating the type of bullets used,” he added.
U Khin Than Maung, a member of the Central Executive Committee of the Arakan League for Democracy (ALD), was murdered at his residence in Kyar Inn Taung village in Rakhine State’s Myebon Township on Dec. 24 last year.
