A junta-appointed ward administrator in Mandalay’s Maha Aungmyay Township was shot and killed on Wednesday afternoon, according to neighbourhood residents.
Citing eyewitnesses, residents said 40-year-old Pauk Si, the administrator of Oakkyin ward, was shot six times throughout his body by a group of assailants at his home.
“We heard gunshots and later found out that he was killed. We don’t know who perpetrated the attack. The body was later collected by a funeral service,” a local said on condition of anonymity.
People in the neighbourhood said that junta soldiers were seen patrolling the ward after the murder, for which no group has claimed responsibility.
Pauk Si was a former staff member within the ward administration office and became the administrator after the February 1 military coup, residents said. He tried to reopen the administration office under the coup regime but his attempt was unsuccessful due to objections from residents.
The local who spoke to Myanmar Now alleged that Pauk Si had informed on anti-coup protesters in the neighbourhood, leading to the arrest of four young men by the junta authorities.
Myanmar Now was unable to independently verify the accusation.
Earlier on Wednesday in Yangon, a bomb went off near a car parked in front of a ward administration office in Hlegu Township. The junta-appointed administrator and an office clerk were injured in the attack.
“They were near the car when it happened. They threw the bomb under the car. The backside of the car was destroyed and the windows were broken,” a neighbourhood resident said.
According to the resident, the 40-year-old administrator suffered injuries to both his legs and the clerk had severe wounds to his hands. Both were reportedly sent to a township hospital in Hlegu.
Junta soldiers arrived at the scene shortly after the attack to inspect and carry out “security checks” on cars in the area, he added.
Ward authorities who are serving under the military council administration have been targeted by anti-coup guerrilla groups in cities and towns across Myanmar. On several occasions, they have been killed in broad daylight.
