A resident from Zay-Pine ward in Linkhe Township said: “U Bo Bo Shwe, the deputy administrator from the district office was shot. He is also known as Maung Bo in Linkhe, he was transferred to Linkhe three years ago. A soldier from Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 514 shot him, their company was carrying out a foot patrol in Linkhe Township. Both of them have a problem over a girl who moved from Mongkai to Linkhe. Mang Bo was sent to Taunggyi Town to receive treatment. Some people are saying that the officer who carried out the shooting has already been arrested, but we are not yet certain about that.”

The shooting happened so quickly that some of the residents only found out about it in the evening. A 40-year-old man who lives near the Myo-Lel-Kyaung area of Linkhe Towship said there was no special security there.

He said: “The situation has not led to bad conditions, which is why residents have been moving as usual, there is no special security. The only thing was that people’s militia members and police officers were seen near the district office. The majority of the staff [at the district office] are from other locations, there are nearly no local staff.”

Four staff from Linkhe District Forestry Department were shot on 27th December 2014. The District Forestry Deputy Director, Hla Min, and forestry officials Bo Min, Than Htike Aung and Sit Htwe were shot by an armed group when they went to investigate illegal teak logging near Wam-Sa-Long Village in Homain Sub-Township in Linkhe District. No one has yet been arrested for the murders.

When Linkhe was promoted to a district level township many government staff came from other areas and different locations.

Translated by Aung Myat Soe English version written by Mark Inkey for BNI