A high election official for Myanmar’s navy junta has been assassinated by bicycle-riding gunmen from a insurgent group, which accused him of being complicit in “oppressing and terrorizing” the general public. It is the newest in a collection of high-profile killings concentrating on a navy that has escalated assaults on civilians.
The official, Sai Kyaw Thu, a retired lieutenant colonel who served as deputy director normal of the Union Election Commission, was fatally shot Saturday afternoon after driving his spouse, a physician, to her job at a hospital in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest metropolis.
A resistance group calling itself “For the Yangon” claimed duty for the killing. A spokesman for the group, who gave his identify solely as Sky for worry of retaliation, mentioned Mr. Sai Kyaw Thu was focused partly as a result of he testified final yr in opposition to the nation’s ousted civilian chief, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and the ousted president, U Win Myint, at their trial for election fraud. Both have been convicted and sentenced to the utmost three years in jail on that cost.
A safety digicam outdoors a Yangon pharmacy captured the assault as two males rode up on one bicycle, jumped off in the course of the road and started firing their handguns at a black sport utility automobile. The automobile ran over the bicycle and continued down the highway and out of digicam vary.
The two gunmen, who each wore hats and face masks, then returned to the bike. One man picked it up, however it was apparently broken; placing their weapons again into shoulder luggage, they fled on foot.
The video of the capturing, in addition to a photograph of the automobile after it had crashed into an influence pole, have been posted on a pro-military Telegram channel known as Myanmagone, which additionally offered particulars of the killing. Mr. Sky, the insurgent spokesman, advised The New York Times that the video and picture depicted the assassination and its aftermath.
The navy junta, which seized energy in a coup greater than two years in the past, is going through rising armed resistance in lots of components of the nation from pro-democracy forces and ethnic insurgent teams which have lengthy fought for autonomy.
Even in city areas the place the navy has established management, resistance fighters have carried out a number of high-profile assassinations, together with that of a retired brigadier normal outdoors his Yangon residence in September.
The navy has responded in latest months with an growing variety of atrocities, together with the beheading, disembowelment or dismemberment of insurgent fighters, in addition to assaults on civilians.
In March, troopers massacred 22 civilians, together with three monks, at a monastery in Shan State. And in April, a navy jet bombed a gathering in Sagaing Region, killing not less than 170, together with 38 youngsters. It was the one deadliest assault on civilians for the reason that coup on Feb. 1, 2021.
In an try to legitimize its authority, the junta established the military-led State Administration Council to run the nation and introduced that it will maintain elections this yr. No date has been set.
“Sai Kyaw Thu is not only a retired military officer, but he is currently a key player in the military council’s illegal election,” mentioned Mr. Sky, the insurgent spokesman. “Together with the terrorist military council, he was involved in oppressing and terrorizing the people.”
Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi’s social gathering, the National League for Democracy, which gained landslide victories within the three elections it was allowed to participate in, was dissolved in March by the election fee after the social gathering introduced it will not take part in a sham vote and didn’t register.
Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, 77, who obtained the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, was arrested on the morning of the coup and has been sentenced to a complete of 33 years in jail on a variety of fees, together with corruption, inciting public unrest and election fraud. Mr. Win Myint, 71, is serving 12 years on related fees.
Both leaders have denied the fees. Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi’s defenders have mentioned that the fees in opposition to her have been manufactured to forestall her from holding public workplace once more. At the time of the 2020 vote, impartial election observers mentioned they didn’t see proof of fraud.
It is unclear what Mr. Sai Kyaw Thu testified on the election fraud trial, for the reason that proceedings have been held behind jail partitions and closed to the general public.
A colleague on the election fee who requested to not be recognized for worry of retaliation mentioned in an interview that he was not shocked Mr. Sai Kyaw Thu had been focused, given his willingness to testify in opposition to the nation’s civilian leaders. Because Mr. Sai Kyaw Thu had labored on the election fee since earlier than the coup, the colleague mentioned, he was able to testify in regards to the dealing with of the 2020 elections.
The Myanmagone channel mentioned that Mr. Sai Kyaw Thu was shot 5 instances, together with within the neck, and the insurgent spokesman, Mr. Sky, mentioned that he was alone within the automobile when he was killed.
The junta’s spokesman, Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, didn’t reply to calls from The Times looking for remark.
Mr. Sky warned that resistance forces deliberate to focus on different high officers related to the junta.
“We have already received a variety of information about people in senior positions in the military council,” he mentioned. “We plan to take care of them as soon as possible. We will not be complacent toward anyone who is oppressing the public, including high-ranking officers.”
Source: www.nytimes.com