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HomeNewsLocal official shot by army captain

Local official shot by army captain

A village official in Rangoon division’s Hlegu township was shot in the shoulder by an army captain last Sunday.

National League for Democracy (NLD)’s Information officier Tint Htun said Thein Zaw, an official from Pantawgon village, was shot by captain Kyaw Oo last Sunday after the two quarreled around 7pm.

According to the information official, captain Kyaw Oo was on his way back to Phaunggyi on his motorbike when he yelled at the Thein Zaw for driving with his headlights on.

The two began arguing, but the ward official apologised to captain after Kyaw Oo told Thein Zaw that he was in the army. After the apology, the captain then proceeded to strike the ward official in the head with his pistol before shooting him in his left collarbone.

Thein Zaw was hospitalised at Rangoon General Hospital’s Neurological Ward, but is not suffering from any life threatening injuries.

An official on duty at the police station in Hlegu said that Thein Zaw had pressed charges against the captain.

“The army is investigating the case with their own court martial,” said the police officer. “We are also conducting our own investigation and afterward will hand over the case [to a military court].”

Similar violent instances flare up from on occasion in the country. In 2010, soldiers shot both Aung Thu Hein, 22, and Soe Paing Zaw, 18, to death after a fight broke out concerning a damaged motorbike.

According to Burmese state law, soldiers cannot be tried in civilian courts, which experts argue allows the military to act with impunity because they are rarely convicted or punished by court martials.

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