Two local people from Sittwe in Rakhine State were seriously injured after some ALP soldiers not only opened fire but also beat them with rods on October 9, Thadingyut full moon day. The perpetrators are currently on the run.
On the morning of October 9, 3 young ALP members who live in the same neighbourhood came to a liquor store owned by U Khin Maung Win to buy alcohol. And then, one of the ALP members cursed and left when the saleswoman told them to return the previous debts, a family member of U Khin Maung Win said.
Soon after, 8 ALP members armed with guns, swords and rods had returned with a car, entered the shop, and opened fire, according to the witnesses.
A family member said that shopkeeper U Khin Maung Win ran away from the attack but fell down and was shot and stabbed with a knife by the perpetrators.
“They stabbed him while he was falling. He was also shot 3 times at the thigh”, a family member said.
As a result of the attack, U Khin Maung Win suffered a gunshot wound on his right hip and was also hit by bullets on both thighs. In addition, he received a stab wound in the abdomen.
U Khin Maung Win's brother-in-law, U Yan Naung Soe, who tried to intervene, was also beaten by ALP members and suffered a head injury.
The two injured men were then arrested by ALP members and detained in an ALP local office in the neighborhood. U Khin Maung Win and U Yan Naung Soe were released to get medical attention in hospital only after the worried families went to the local police station to ask for help.
Lieutenant Colonel Kyaw Zaw explained the incident as follows when contacted to the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) regarding the issue.
“I already investigated the incident yesterday. Two of our comrades went to buy shoes from a shop. The shop also sells alcohol. My comrades are young, so I can't say whether they bought alcohol on debt or not. They said that when they went to pay back the 3500 kyats of debt, they started arguing with the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper said some insulting words to the ALP. At the same time, the shop assistant girl shouted that the ALP members were looking for trouble. Then the shop owner, his brother-in-law and 7 or 8 people nearby attacked one of our comrades. When our comrade returned to the base and informed us, some of the younger commanders followed. At that time, the shopkeeper and his men aggressively responded with rods and swords. My comrades only wanted to calm down the situation and called to resolve it, but they didn't accept. The man tried to grab the hand-made gun and a bullet went off, wounding him in the thigh, but not a fatal one”, he said.
He also warned that the conflict could worsen if the public and the media target a single party and lash out too much.
"Whether it's the people or the media, if a party organization is criticized too much and targeted with baseless accusations, there will be more conflicts. Our Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) has been standing for the benefit of the people for more than 50 years. Some don't like the ALP's policies and attitudes. So, they mix with the public and try to attack the ALP. We see false accusations against us were written in the media and on Facebook. I want the honest public to be careful and reflect on the fact that they are attacking the ALP's position using false methods”, he added.
Currently the 5 comrades who committed the attack are on the run, bringing guns and swords. Therefore, the ALP is trying to reach them to prevent them from causing more troubles, he said.
“Regarding the incident, 5 comrades, including the young commander, will be charged and actions will be taken accordingly with party and military regulations and laws. They flee because they know that such actions will be taken. We are still trying to reach them. We are worried about losing our comrades. We don't want them to run too far. At the same time, it is necessary to prevent further similar problems from occurring. They may have a few weapons such as handmade guns and swords. The injured were taken to the hospital and arranged to make them as convenient as possible. If they were coming to us to negotiate earlier, we would have done our best to settle it. ALP is a party that has stood for the good of the people for over 50 years. I want to say that anyone who doesn't like the ALP's position is not an honest and fair-minded person”, he also said.
Currently, two injured people are receiving treatment at Sittwe Hospital. The bullet that entered U Khin Maung Win's abdomen through his hip had to be surgically removed overnight, his family members said.
The family members of the victims have said that they do not want any more similar bloodshed, but only wish to live in peace.
