A local administrator was shot dead outside his home in the Karen State border town of Myawaddy on Wednesday morning, locals told Myanmar Now.
Than Htay, a 100-household administrator in the town’s Ward 2, was waiting in front of his home to offer alms to monks at around 6:30am when unidentified gunmen in a car reportedly shot him in the chest at close range.
He was first admitted to Myawaddy hospital and then transferred to health facilities in Mawlamyine, Mon State, some 100km away. He died en route, according to a local source.
The Karen State-based Karen Information Center reported that Than Htay was shot twice, and that his body had been returned to his family after he died in the ambulance on the way to the Mon State capital.
Several Myawaddy residents had accused him of acting as a military informant and reporting protesters’ locations in the ward to the local coup council, leading to their arrests.
“A lot of people disliked him. He abused his power as a 100-household administrator appointed by the military council,” one resident said.
Than Htay had held the position since the previous National League for Democracy (NLD) government was in power. He did not step down after the February 1 coup ousted the NLD administration, instead opting to work with the military authorities despite nationwide opposition to the regime.
After the shooting, members of the junta’s armed forces came to Ward 2 and inspected the phones of people in the area. At least four young people were reportedly arrested following these inspections.
“They were just kids passing by. We’ve heard they’ve been released,” the local who spoke to Myanmar Now said.
Myanmar Now was unable to verify the youths’ arrests or release with the Myawaddy police station.
