Tatmadaw kills one civilian, injures another

By Khine Roe La 16 Oct 2019

Khaing Roe La/ DMG

October 17, Kyauktaw

A 50-year-old man was killed and a university student was injured after being shot by a Tatmadaw unit near Shwe Hlaing village in Kyauktaw Township, Arakan State.

Around 6a.m. on October 15, U Kalar Maung was talking on his mobile phone along the bank of the lake near Shwe Hlaing village. Nearby Tatmadaw soldiers thought that he was reporting information about them and asked him to come with them for a talk. But instead of obliging the soldiers, U Kalar Maung tried to run away and was shot dead.

University student Nay San Win, 24, was also shot in the head and back and is receiving medical treatment at Sittwe hospital.

“He was shot three times in his waist and two times in his head. He is now in a serious condition. The doctor in Sittwe hospital said that fragments of the bullets were found in his intestine,” said Daw Hla Kyawt Sein, mother of Nay San Win.

Colonel Win Zaw Oo, head of the Western Command, said that U Kalar Maung was shot because he informed about the Tatmadaw to the Arakan Army (AA) and ran away as the Tatmadaw tried to interrogate him.

“Our Tatmadaw unit saw a young guy talking on a mobile phone on the bank Shwe Hlaing lake yesterday as well. They were suspicious of him and told him to go to the soldiers. When he was 40 or 50 feet away from them, the mobile rang. The soldiers told him to answer the call and switch on the speaker. We heard that somebody asked him where our unit was and where to lead up. That’s why, our soldiers asked him to go with them but he didn’t and ran away. The soldiers tried to shoot the bottom part of the body. He got shot by the bullets but didn’t stop running. Finally he ran near a university student who was about go somewhere in his car. At the time, the bullets hit the mirror of the car, and the pieces of mirror got lodged in the student. We didn’t shoot him and he didn’t get hit by any bullets,” Colonel Win Zaw Oo said.

Members of the State Hluttaw said that more than 80 civilians have died and 130 injured during the conflict between the Tatmadaw and AA in Arakan State from December 2018 to September 2019.