Two Suspects Arrested in Murder of Journalist

By San Yamin Aung 21 December 2016

RANGOON — Police have arrested two suspects from a karaoke bar in Monywa Township, Sagaing Division, on Tuesday in connection with the murder of local reporter Ko Soe Moe Tun of Eleven Media Group (EMG).

Ko Soe Moe Tun, a 36-year-old Monywa-based EMG journalist, was found dead and with bruises at around 1 a.m. on Dec. 13 on the Union Highway in Monywa. An autopsy revealed that he died of a skull fracture resulting from having been beaten. His personal belongings, including money, a gold ring and his national ID card, were not taken.

Police sub-lieutenant Soe Min Tun of the Monywa Central Police Station, said that a special investigation unit was formed to look into the case and that they had questioned around 30 people so far. Many of those questioned were staff members from karaoke establishment Blue Sky KTV in Monywa, where Ko Soe Moe Tun went the night he was murdered.

“We have found out that he left KTV at around 11:30 at that night and he was killed soon after,” Soe Min Tun said, adding that the police have been mainly inspecting the staff and waiters from the business. On Tuesday evening, the police remanded the KTV manager and supervisor until Jan. 2 of 2017 after they said that they had not noticed Ko Soe Moe Tun’s arrival and exit from the establishment. Additionally, the two men had also deleted their cell phone’s call records, the police sub-lieutenant said.

Sagaing Division Chief Minister U Myint Naing met with the deceased’s family members and instructed the police to continue to seek out the truth.

“It is thought that around three people were involved in the murder case. It’s a lawless act and unacceptable,” the chief minister said.

Media advocacy groups have called the government to step up the investigation and find the perpetrators as soon as possible.