Myanmar junta admits its forces killed senior Buddhist monk

Myanmar’s military regime admitted on Friday that soldiers under its command were responsible for the shooting death of a senior Buddhist monk in Mandalay last week. Junta-controlled state media originally blamed the June 19 killing of Ashin Munindra Bhivamsa, abbot of the Win Namitta Monastery in Bago, on “PDF terrorists,” referring to armed groups opposed to military rule. However, a day after the incident, another senior monk who survived the deadly attack publicly contradicted the junta’s official account of what happened, forcing it to retract its initial claims. In a statement released the following afternoon, the regime said that it would order an investigation after hearing the testimony of the monk, Ashin Gunikar Bhivamsa, which was shared with other monks at a gathering that was livestreamed on Facebook. Later that day, junta spokesperson Maj.-Gen. Zaw Min Tun released a seven-minute video offering further details that were more consistent with reports received by Myanmar Now from sources on the ground. According to those reports, the shooting took place because the car that the two monks were travelling in failed to stop at a checkpoint in Ngazun Township, about 45 miles southwest on Mandalay, as it was driving west from Mandalay International Airport in Tada-U Township at around 1:30pm on June 19. “When the car attempted to pass, the security forces opened fire and halted it from behind,” the junta spokesperson said in the video, which was broadcast on state-run television. The driver, who was also injured, simply drove away when told to stop, prompting the security forces to take action against a perceived threat, he said. “There are numerous challenges for the soldiers providing security in that area,” he added. According to leaked junta intelligence reports, the troops stationed at the checkpoint included soldiers based in Mandalay Region’s Kyaukse Township and members of the military-backed Pyu Saw Htee militia in Ngazun, also in Mandalay Region. In its statement, the regime said it would take “necessary measures” to ensure that those responsible are held accountable. The incident marks the first time that the junta has acknowledged the unprovoked killing of civilians by its forces since it seized power more than three years ago. According to the latest figures released by advocacy group the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, the regime has killed at least 5,300 civilians since its overthrow of Myanmar’s elected civilian government in February 2021. The junta rarely comments on individual allegations involving its forces, but has repeatedly made blanket denials, blaming all civilian casualties on resistance forces.

Myanmar junta admits its forces killed senior Buddhist monk

The incident marks the first time since the regime seized power more than three years ago that it has acknowledged the unprovoked killing of civilians by its forces

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