Family seeks justice over suspected murder of student in Pauktaw

By Admin 04 Jun 2026

DMG Newsroom

4 June 2026, Pauktaw                                 

The family of a Grade-12 student who died under suspicious circumstances in Gyitchaung Village on Ale Phayonekar Island in Pauktaw Township is calling on the United League of Arakan (ULA) to investigate the case and ensure justice.

According to family members, the victim, Maung Paing Lynn Soe, was visited twice at his home by a fellow villager, Maung Naing Soe, who persuaded him to leave the house at around 1:30 p.m. on July 19, 2024. When he failed to return that evening, relatives launched a search and found his body on the opposite bank of a nearby creek.

“He came to call the victim the first time, but he didn't follow, so he came back a second time to call him again. He hadn't returned home by around 8:00 p.m. Therefore, Paing Lynn Soe's uncle went to look for him and spotted three men on the opposite side of the creek near the village. He then found the body near those three individuals,” a family member said.

Family members said the body was found at around 8:00 p.m. on July 19, 2024, on a sandy bank on the southern side of the creek mouth outside Gyitchaung Village, with three local youths seen nearby.

The three youths were identified as Maung Moe Sat Chay, Maung San Khin Maung and Maung Min Wai Soe, all residents of the same village as the victim.

Following the discovery, family members attempted to report the incident at around 10:00 p.m. to the No. 4 Police Station under the Department of Law Enforcement and Public Security (DLEPS) in Pauktaw Township.

The family alleged that DLEPS personnel initially declined to conduct a search due to heavy rain and strong winds, forcing relatives to locate the body themselves. They said three DLEPS personnel later arrived, photographed the deceased and left without conducting a thorough forensic examination.

The following day, family members examined the body and said they found two wounds on the head, bruises on the back and both sides of the waist, as well as injuries to both thighs and the genitals.

After the family filed a complaint with DLEPS’s No. 4 Police Station, authorities conducted an investigation but concluded that there was insufficient evidence to open a criminal case.

“The police station concluded that he died by drowning. But when we prepared to bury him, we found broken glass shards at the back of his head. His lips were not pale, and there was no abdominal swelling. DLEPS pressured us to bury him immediately. The body showed absolutely no signs of drowning. Therefore, the family believes it was a homicide,” another family member said.

Physical evidence reportedly recovered from the scene included an unopened liquor bottle, a broken liquor bottle, Min Wai Soe's mobile phone, and the victim's hat and underwear. Photographs of the scene were also taken by authorities.

Relatives disputed the official conclusion, noting that Maung Paing Lynn Soe was a strong swimmer who regularly crossed the creek. They also said the body lacked common signs associated with drowning, including abdominal swelling and froth from the nose and mouth.

Family members further alleged that DLEPS failed to summon or question the youth who had taken the victim from his home, as well as the three youths found near the body.

The family is demanding a proper investigation, the uncovering of the truth, and legal action against those responsible.

“I primarily want justice. What is happening is that two sons of the village administrator are involved, and the village administrator is covering this up. The local police station also refused to accept the complaint. I want them to face either imprisonment or the death penalty for causing a person's death,” Daw Oo Win Nu, the victim’s mother, said.

She added that after failing to open a case at DLEPS’s No. 4 Police Station in Pauktaw Township, the family sought assistance and filed complaints at three other police stations, but received no response.

DMG attempted to contact DLEPS’s No. 4 Police Station in Pauktaw Township for comment, but was unable to reach officials.

While the Arakan Army is working to establish administrative mechanisms in areas under its control, observers say significant administrative and legal challenges remain.

Homicide cases have become increasingly common in townships controlled by the Arakan Army in Arakan State. According to DLEPS data, 17 homicide cases have been recorded so far this year.