Resistance fighters among 12 people arrested in Sagaing robbery, murder case

Twelve people, including members of a local resistance group, have been arrested on suspicion of robbery and murder in Sagaing Region’s Wetlet Township, according to National Unity Government (NUG) officials. The suspects are accused of breaking into the home of a rice mill manager in Hla Taw, a village about seven miles west of the town of Wetlet, on July 13 and murdering its owner. Maung Maung Swe, the NUG’s deputy minister of defence, confirmed that the township’s People’s Security Team—known locally as the Pa La Pa—had taken the suspects into custody. “The Pa La Pa apprehended them later the same day,” he said, adding that the case is still being investigated by NUG authorities. The victim, a man in his forties named Nyaung Pin Gyi, was stabbed four times and died on the way to the hospital, a man living in Hla Taw told Myanmar Now. “They were taking him to Mandalay, but he didn’t make it,” the man said, adding that the victim had been stabbed in the stomach, back, and chest. Aung Naing, the deputy head of the NUG-run police station in Wetlet, said that two of the suspects were being held by the township People’s Defence Force (PDF). “We have seven men and three women here at the station, but two others connected to the resistance are in PDF custody,” he said. Hla Taw is a village of more than 1,500 households located along the Shwebo-Mandalay highway. Although there is a military camp in the village, much of the surrounding area is controlled by resistance forces. The house where the robbery occurred is located near the police station. Locals said the assailants stole at least five million kyat (nearly US$1,000) worth of valuables. Incidents involving violent crimes by members of the resistance have become a growing concern in some areas, with both the public and anti-regime armed groups calling on the NUG to take decisive action. Last week, the Chinland Defence Force said it had arrested members of a resistance group under the NUG near Falam in Chin State while transporting narcotics.

Resistance fighters among 12 people arrested in Sagaing robbery, murder case

The suspects are being held by NUG authorities, with two linked to a local resistance group in PDF custody

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