Burmese Army officers based in Shan State South’s Mongnawng sub-township, Kehsi township, have warned local residents not to file a lawsuit against their soldiers for their recent mistaken shooting of a local villager, threatening to burn the town to the ground if their warning goes unheeded, local sources said.

A 43-year old local man identified as Sai Swe from Quarter No.4 was shot dead on 22 November night, by Burmese Army soldiers from the Mongnawng-based Military Operations Command (MOC) # 2, while on his way to buy medicine for his wife Nang Soi.

“There were four or five gunshots. Then there was the sound of a man groaning in pain and falling to the ground. But no one dared to go out and see, who was being shot at that time,” a local resident who asked not to be named said.

But the body was no longer seen on the road the next morning. But a splotch of blood remained on the ground. The villagers later found Sai Swe’s remains in a well covered with leaves, 100 yards northeast of the town.

Sai Swe was shot on his waist five times, twice on his right breast and once under his right arm-pit, an eyewitness said.

The culprits were said to be Private Maung Sein Win and Saya (a popular name for corporals and sergeants) Ngwe Maung, another villager said. “The two claimed that they saw Sai Swe from behind and thought he was a rebel.”

The Shan State Army (SSA) South is active in the area.

However, Brig-Gen Tint Lwin, Commander of MOC#2 and G1 Lt-Colonel Wai Lin Aung reportedly ordered police officer Myint Han and Chairman of Quarter No. 4 U Kyaw Lwin to tell villagers and family members not to appeal about the case to the top rank and not to leak the information, otherwise the town would be razed to the ground.

The family members and local village headmen buried Sai Swe on 23 November, a day after the shooting.

Sai Swe is survived by three daughters, three sons and his wife. The family members were given Kyat 500,000 (US$ 500) in compensation by Brig-Gen Tint Lwin.