Col. Nai Yaung from the Mon Peace Defence Front (MPDF) has claimed that the man who shot a traffic police officer in Myaing Thar Yar Ward in Mawlamyine, Mon State on Sunday (October 14) morning is not from his organization.
He told Mawlamyine-based media that the gunman, who has been identified as Nai Pike Htwe, was holding a fake member card of the MPDF.
“We have already set down [rules] against carrying arms when we enter the city. We only hold them in our area. We will sue him when he is found because he has tried to destroy our organization’s image by pretending [to be our member],” said Col Nai Yaung.
Nai Pike Htwe, who was holding the MPDF card, was driving an unlicensed vehicle from Mudon to Mawlamyine on Sunday morning when he was asked by the traffic police on duty to pull over at Daung Za Yat traffic light, but he fled without stopping his car.
He hit a traffic police officer’s motorcycle, which was blocking the road at the corner of Thamein Bayan Road and U Sitt Maung Road in Myaing Thar Yar Ward near the Mawlamyine Airport, and fired four shots, injuring traffic police corporal Myo Zaw Oo and a civilian, according to the Mawlamyine District Police Force.
“We will investigate whether this card is real or fake. We will take action accordingly based on whether it is real or not after we have finished our investigation,” said Police Major Thein Than Tun, the chief of the Mawlamyine District Police Force.
The police are searching for Nai Pike Htwe, who has fled, and a woman who accompanied him on the vehicle has been detained at the police station and is being investigated.
The Mon State Minister of Security and Boarder Affairs summoned Nai Aik Chan and Nai Yaung from the MPDF on Sunday evening and warned them to arrest and bring Nai Pike Htwe within 24 hours.
