Three Myanmar resistance fighters killed in two separate incidents in Sagaing Region

Three resistance fighters, including the leader of a local People’s Defence Force (PDF) group, were killed in two separate incidents in early October in Sagaing Region, where anti-junta forces maintain a strong presence, local sources said. Moe Kyoe, leader of the Sadaung Moe Kyoe PDF, was shot dead on Monday by a group of armed men at a Starlink internet shop in Aingdanma, a village in Sagaing Township, according to sources familiar with the incident. About 20 members of the group, which has not been identified, had deployed along nearby roads, while around 10 others raided the shop and opened fire at about 4pm, one source said. The killing came after more than 30 members and relatives of the Sadaung Moe Kyoe PDF and other local resistance forces defected to the military junta in early October, the source said. Moe Kyoe’s death has left members of his group and his family fearing for their safety. His wife and two children have been particularly concerned following threats made during his funeral, according to a man familiar with the situation. “He was shot repeatedly, leaving his body riddled with bullet holes. People who are supposed to be fighting the military junta are now killing one another,” the man said. “His family and comrades fear for their lives, and the group is in disarray after losing its leader. We are afraid of enemies who are close to us.” Moe Kyoe died at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds. His firearm and other belongings were taken, the man added. Myanmar Now reached out to members of the Sadaung Moe Kyoe PDF for comment on the killing, but did not receive a response. Moe Kyoe, 30, had been actively involved in the resistance since the military seized power in February 2021 and had led military operations around Sadaung, local resistance forces said. Moe Kyoe, leader of the Sadaung Moe Kyoe group operating in Sagaing Township, Sagaing Region (Photo: Supplied) The killing followed the shooting deaths of two members of the Budalin Township People’s Defence Organisation near the border between Depayin and Ayadaw townships on Sunday (October 4), according to resistance sources. The pair were attacked at about 6:30pm as they were returning from Mu Kan Gyi, a village in Depayin Township, with some money they had withdrawn there, the sources said. “They were on their way back from Mu Kan Gyi with the money when five people on two motorbikes started following them,” a resistance member from Depayin Township said. “The attackers shot them and took 20 million kyat [around US$500] and an MA-1 rifle,” the resistance fighter added. Forces operating under the National Unity Government (NUG) have arrested and are questioning a member of the Shwebo-based Bo Kyar Yine anti-junta group and his wife in connection with the killings, local resistance sources said. The latest incidents follow another killing within the resistance movement in June, when Pale Maung, also known as Peter, commander of Yinmabin District PDF Battalion 6, was shot dead while attending a meeting at the Yinmabin District office. Following that incident, the entire Yinmabin District Battalion Command Team was temporarily suspended from duty. District commander Swan Thu Maung and the alleged perpetrator, known as Nga Phyo, remain under investigation, according to information provided about the case. Nearly six years after the coup triggered a civil war across much of Myanmar, killings and other violent disputes among resistance members have become an increasing concern in Sagaing Region, local fighters said. Resistance members attributed the violence to weak disciplinary measures, inadequate command structures, and conflicts over power and money. “When there is no proper chain of command, there is no discipline, and people can go astray,” one resistance member said. “Conflicts also arise over power and money. People tell themselves that money and power are necessary for the revolution, but things can get out of control.” The fighter said the lack of clear boundaries between allied groups had also contributed to the problem. “Rules that should protect allies, such as not harming one another, are no longer being respected,” the fighter said. “As a result, armed violence has become an all-too-easy way to settle disputes between groups that are supposed to be on the same side.” Kyaw Ni, the NUG’s deputy minister for home affairs, declined to comment when contacted by Myanmar Now about the killing of Moe Kyoe and the deaths of the two resistance members. “I do not wish to comment at the moment,” he said. NUG spokesperson Nay Phone Latt was also contacted but had not responded by the time of publication. Sagaing Region, particularly the townships of Depayin, Ayadaw, Sagaing, and Pale, has been a major stronghold of resistance to military rule. While the junta retains control of urban centres in much of the area, resistance forces maintain a strong presence across large parts of the surrounding countryside.

Three Myanmar resistance fighters killed in two separate incidents in Sagaing Region

In both incidents, members of rival anti-junta groups are believed to have carried out the targeted killings

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