A nephew of a Shan ceasefire leader in northern Shan State was killed by unidentified people after returning from hanging out with a group of friends.  But local authorities failed to find the assailant, according to sources from northern Shan State.
 
On 15 September, a Shan State Army-North leader Col Gaifah's nephew, Sai Aung Si (28) was stabbed to death in the evening after returning from a drinking binge with a group of friends and watching football matches in Muse, said one of his relatives.
 
 "Some people came in a jeep to pick him up while he was drinking," said a resident who wished to remain anonymous.
 
On the following day, the body of Sai Aung Si was found near Ho Nawng village on the way to Lawn In village. Later his body was taken by the local police to the temple of Pawkkart, Muse.
 
"If the authorities were really serious about the case, the perpetrator would have been found by now," commented a resident in Lashio. "There has been no response from either the local authorities or the SSA."
 
His funeral was held on September 17.
 
A group of his friends who were drinking with him, Sai Yee Kawn from Kawng Nawng village, Sai Kyaw Aye from Pawkkart and Sai Pan Phwe Hoong have been detained, said a shopkeeper in Muse. A footballer, Sai Hsarm Ann whose card was found on the body was also arrested.
 
Sai Aung Si was reportedly visiting Muse to collect debts to the tune of about Kyat 5,000,000 (US$ 4,167) owed to him over a shipment of silver ore, said a driver whose car plies between Lashio and Muse.
 
Col Gaifah is Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Shan State Army-North known as an able field commander before the ceasefire in 1989. The SSA- North is one of the major anti-junta armed groups that reached a ceasefire agreement with Rangoon in 1989. It was one of 13 ceasefire groups that had jointly presented a demand for greater say in state affairs in 2004 at the National Convention. Their demand was ignored by the Convention's organizers.