The partially buried body of Kachin civilian that was last seen being detained by Burma army soldiers on Sunday has been found by residents of Pangsai (Kyukok) area in northern Shan state.
Sumlut La Gun, from Hka Lum, was riding his motorcycle near his sugarcane farm following a church service when he was detained, a relative’s told the Kachin News Group. Villagers found the partially buried body of the father of 3 on Tuesday afternoon.
Kachin Independence Army (KIA) battalion 36 soldiers based in Pangsai (Kyukok) suspect that the victim was killed by troops from Burma army Infantry Battalions No. 45 and 242. Heavy fighting took place on Sunday, the same day that Sumlut La Gun was last seen and where his body was discovered.
Zau Seng, a commander of the KIA affiliated Mungshawa Hpyen Hpung (MHH) militia that clashed with government troops for 3 hours, denied that Sumlut La Gun was a member of either the KIA, or the militia.
Sumlut La Gun’s death comes less than 5 days after a Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) technical advisory team opened an office in the Kachin state capital of Myitkyina. The technical advisory team was formed to monitor and help reduce tensions with the Burma army as part of the 7-point agreement signed during the last peace talks with the government's chief negotiator Minister Aung Min.
