Mrauk U: A Burmese soldier who was severely hacked in a group-attack attempting to grab his gun in Mrauk-U Township in Arakan State has reportedly died from his wounds in the hospital in the regional capital Sittwe.
The soldier is identified as Second Corporal Soe Win from the battalion (377) based in Mrauk-U.
“We have heard that he was brought to Sittwe from Mrauk-U after he was attacked. Now the news is spreading here that he has died from his injuries”, said U Aung Mra Kyaw, an MP from Sittwe.
Corporal Soe Win is said to have been attacked and his gun taken away by a group of Muslim villagers while he was on duty at Parein Village in Mrauk-U Township on 13th of January.
“The incident happened on 13th of this month when he was on duty at Parein Village. He was hacked and his gun was grabbed by a group of Muslim men from nearby Paungtoke Village”, said Ko Htun Lunn, a local student who saw the victim in hospital in Mrauk-U.
He said the soldier had to undergo emergency surgery for his machete-wounds in the hospital.
Three Muslim villagers who are accused of attacking the soldier are said to have been arrested along with the snatched gun on the following day.
“Three Muslim men were arrested along with the gun that was grabbed from the soldier on the next day. We do not know if they are still being detained in the police station in Mrauk-U or have been taken away to Sittwe. But the injured soldier was taken to Sittwe after emergency treatment in Mrauk-U. Now we have heard that he has died in the hospital in Sittwe”,he added.
Narinjara contacted U Win Myaing, the press secretary of the Arakan State Government, several times by phone in order to confirm the incident and the soldier’s death, but he was unavailable.
Ko Htun Lunn said the situation has become normal after arresting the accused in their area.
