A Private in the Burmese Army shot a Corporal dead at midnight on October 21 on the Indo-Burma border after the latter beat the soldier, said a villager.

"We attended the funeral ceremony of the Corporal along with our village chairman on October 22. Army personnel read his last will and testament at the ceremony," he said.

The victim was identified as Corporal Zaw Win from the Light Infantry Battalion 550 based in Ponna Kyunt, about 16 miles north of Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State.

The killing took place on the frontlines near the Indo-Burma border when the Corporal beat Private U San Hlaing for sleeping while on sentry duty.

"The incident took place in our village, Chin Let Wa, in Paletwa Township, and the soldier shot him with an MA-11 automatic rifle in retaliation to the assault," the villager said.

Corporal Zaw Win died on the spot and U San Hlaing surrendered to the authorities.

A local source in the Burmese Army said the rate of killing of officers by private soldiers has gone up in recent times, and many officials in the army are concerned about their security throughout Burma now.

On October 4, Private Kyaw Shwe Maung killed two army officers from the Light Infantry Battalion 707 based in Taik Gyi in Rangoon Division, and was later killed by troops during an encounter after he attempted to flee.