“We learned that the culprit is Captain Aung Ko Ko Min. The deceased (Tin Soe Myint)’s wife Ma Khin Swe Tint, age 36, (father U Chan Aye), has file a case at Lamaing Police Station for homicide under Section 302 of the Penal Code on May 18, 2018,” Police Major Myint Win, chief of the Mon State Police Force, told the Mon News Agency.

Captain Aung Ko Ko Min from Ye Township-based 587th Light Infantry Battalion (LIB-587) killed Ko Tin Soe Myint (age 39, a Burmese national from Yedashe Township, Bago Region), who was working in the wood and bamboo industry in Kalagoke Island (Ah-Le-seik) after he was taken to the military base on the evening of the incident.

“Since military personnel committed the crime, we have informed respective battalion about this incident. We received a response stating that actions will be taken in line with the military law. We are arranging to transfer the culprit to the Tatmadaw since he will be charged under the military law,” Police Major Myint Win said.

According to investigations by the Mon News Agency, the captain has been transferred to respective battalion on May 19.

The deceased man’s father-in-law Nai Chan Aye told the Mon News Agency that his son-in-law was killed after he reported to the drunken captain about losing his NRC.

“Tin Soe Myint and I went to the home of Thein Htoo, head of 100 households, on the evening on the 16th. We saw Thein Htoo and the captain upstairs. The captain asked Tin Soe Myint for his NRC. After Tin Soe Myint replied that he lost his NRC and he will submit a recommendation letter tomorrow, he got up and kicked Tin Soe Myint once and punched him five times. He kicked his (Tin Soe Myint) back while he was coming down the stairs. Three soldiers clad in civilian clothes punched him downstairs. After punching him, they took him away at around 7:30 pm,” said Nai Chan Aye.

Tin Soe Myint was taken to Tat-kone military base located between Auk-seik and Ah-le-seik on Kalagoke Island and Nai Chan Aye was told to return home.

“The recommendation letter was brought with a boat the next morning. Our family reported to the head of 100 households Thein Htoo and went to Tat-kone military base at around 1:30 pm after we were told that we can come. When I arrived there, I saw that Tin Soe Myint was lying lifeless in a pool of blood at a corner of the office. The captain who shot him was sitting on a bench while being handcuffed,” said Nai Chan Aye.

Ko Tin Soe Myint's body was found lying on his back with gunshot wounds on his chest and thigh, four injuries on his chest and an injury on his thigh, a broken forearm, and a broken nose, according to Nai Chan Aye.

Two Tatmadaw officials with the rank of battalion commander apologized to Nai Chan Aye. The Tatmadaw tried to hold his funeral at Ah-le-seik cemetery but it was cancelled due to Nai Chan Aye’s objection. After the police arrived from Lamaing Police Station including the township police chief, the culprit was transferred to the police and the body was sent to Lamaing Hospital for forensic examination before he was cremated, he explained.

The deceased Ko Tin Soe Myint is survived by his wife Ma Khin Swe Tint, who was a local Mon woman married to him for 15 years, and an 11-year-old son and a four-year-old son.

Two residents of Ma-gyi-chaung-wa Village in the southern Ye Township were killed by Captain Zaw Myo Htet from the 280th Light Infantry Battalion in March 2016. The captain claimed that he accidently shot them and he was transferred from Ye Myoma Police Station to the Tatmadaw to take action under the military law.