Kyaikmayaw Township Police in Mon State have agreed to open a case to investigate the death of the freelance journalist Ko Aung Kyaw Naing, better known as Ko Par Gyi according to his wife, Ma Thandar.
She said: “At 9 o’clock in the morning [of 26th October], the [Kyaikmayaw Township] police refused to open a case on Ko Par Gyi's death, but at 4pm a district official phoned us to tell us that a case would be opened. The case will be handled by the township police office rather than the district police office, the case number is 11/2014"
Demand have been made for a full investigation into Ko Par Gyi's death calling for his body to be returned and for those responsible for his death to be punished to the full extent of the law in a civilian court.
Ma Thandar said: "The police have said that because the case involves a death it will take time. The investigation will be conducted after the corpse is exhumed and the corpse will only be released after it is completed."
The Tatmadaw (government army) released a statement that on the night of 4th October Ko Par Gyi was in the custody of Light Infantry Battalion No. 208. When he attempted to take a gun from a soldier and escape he was shot and killed by a guard.
According to the statement the journalist's body is buried near Shwewarchaung Village.
According to the Kyaikmayaw Town Police Station, the police have submitted requests to the appropriate government departments for permission to exhume the corpse of Ko Par Gyi.
Investigations into the case will start with the questioning of Adjutant Captain San Win Aung of Light Infantry Battalion 208, who was involved in the arrest, torture, and attempts to hide the corpse of Ko Par Gyi.
Freelance journalist Ko Par Gyi was arrested while covering the outbreak of fighting between the government army and the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) in Kyaikmayaw Township, Mon State.
