A deadly attack on former members of a resistance group based in northern Shan State’s Muse Township has resulted in the disbandment of the group and sentences of up to 20 years in prison for the perpetrators of the assault.
The punishment was handed down following a court martial conducted on February 6 by the publicly mandated National Unity Government (NUG) and allied ethnic armed groups, according to Ko Doe, the information officer of the Muse Byu Har People’s Defence Force (PDF).
The Muse Byu Har PDF was formed last Saturday by former members of the now-dissolved People Security and Defence Army (PSDA), led by Shweli Thanlwin.
According to a statement released by the Muse Byu Har PDF on Sunday, Shweli (aka Aye Min Zaw) and three others—Kyaw Gyi (aka Moe Zat Aung), Naw One (aka Wai Yan Lin), and Zaw Kyu (aka Zaw Thet Aung)—were each sentenced to 20 years with hard labour for their role in an attack that left six former PSDA members dead last November.
Six others were given five-year sentences with hard labour, and another 15 were banished from northern Shan State, the statement added.
Days after the incident, ethnic armed groups in northern Shan State invited the perpetrators to a meeting and detained them on November 31, according to Ko Doe.
The new group declined to disclose where the prisoners were being detained.
“There is a prison. I can’t say the location, but there is a private prison for them,” said Ko Doe, adding that the exiled members were also forbidden from taking part in the armed resistance movement against the Myanmar regime.
Although the severity of the crime would have justified the use of the death penalty, he said, the chief defendants were only given long prison sentences because of their previous involvement in the revolution.
Sadan, one of the survivors of the attack and now a member of the Muse Byu Har PDF, complained that the punishment was too lenient.
“I want them to get the death penalty, if possible,” he told Myanmar Now.
He added that the Muse Byu Har PDF was formed transparently and would continue to fight until the military junta is defeated.
The group will abide by the NUG’s military regulations and form alliances with other resistance forces in northern Shan State, according to Ko Doe. He also urged the public to continue its support.
“We have been involved in the revolution for two years, so even though we are newly reformed, we have the experience we need. I urge the people to keep trusting us,” he said.
The current strength of the group is unknown, but a video of a military refresher training course conducted by the PSDA in mid-2022 showed some 100 participants in military uniforms.
The PSDA was founded in April 2021 by Dawna Thanlwin, who was later killed in battle. Shweli Thanlwin took over as commander of the group after his death.
A number of members subsequently left the group amid concerns about Shweli Thanlwin’s leadership and his alleged misuse of funds.
