Wave of assassinations targets NUG officials in Sagaing Region resistance territories

A National Unity Government (NUG) official was shot dead in Myanmar’s Sagaing Region on Monday, the fifth official to be killed within the last three months, according to local sources.At approximately 6am, two gunmen shot and killed Thein Wai, the leader of a local People’s Administration Team in Tin Ngoke Gyi Village, Kanbalu Township.“We were informed that the gunmen opened fire while they were asking for directions, saying they were on the wrong street,” an officer from the Kanbalu Township People’s Defense Team told Myanmar Now. According to witnesses, the gunmen were dressed in military uniforms typically worn by members of local defence groups.The shooting is the latest in a string of assassinations targeting civil staff under the NUG in Sagaing Region, a resistance stronghold.In early January this year, Araindamar, the secretary of the NUG’s Natural Resources Committee, was assassinated in Kawlin Township. In November, Win Htay, an NUG official with the NUG’s Education Board was killed along with his wife and three-month-old daughter. The perpetrators of these two recent assassinations remain at large. The defence group source said that both the assassinations are currently under investigation. Aw Zar, a member of the Military Region 1 supervisory team, told Myanmar Now that the NUG’s Ministry of Defence, along with other relevant ministries, are working to apprehend those responsible for the assassinations and to pursue legal action. “It is true that all three incidents occurred in resistance-controlled territories,” Aw Zar said. “We don't have enough information yet to explain why they happened, but the responsible authorities will provide an answer soon.” Aw Zar added that investigations into previous killings of NUG officials are also underway.In August last year, an NUG financial officer and governing committee member was shot in the head in a peanut field in Sagaing Region’s Ayadaw Township. Local civil society groups and CDM activists have issued statements demanding that the NUG take responsibility for protecting and supporting its members. They also called for an increase in security efforts and the enforcement of the rule of law. An activist based in Sagaing Region told Myanmar Now that more needs to be done to prevent these assassinations from happening again. “I feel the NUG's response to the situation has been inadequate,” the activist, who requested anonymity, said. “While we've heard about special teams investigating, there has been no tangible progress or results.” Resistance forces have liberated Khampat, Shwe Pyi Aye, Maw Luu, Myothit, and Pinlebu townships in Sagaing Region. Yet despite the territorial successes, activists and community members are concerned about a troubling rise in intercommunal violence. “I'm very disappointed,” the activist said of the recent shootings. “In such a situation, all resistance forces should collaborate and work together to uncover the truth.”

Wave of assassinations targets NUG officials in Sagaing Region resistance territories

Recent attacks highlight a troubling rise in violence against NUG civil staff, prompting calls for stronger security measures in resistance-held areas

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