The Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) has admitted that their soldiers accidentally shot and injured two General Administration Department (GAD) officers as they returned from observing a polling station in Mongpan Tonwship, southern Shan State this week.

RCSS spokesperson Lt-Col Oum Khur told SHAN that their soldiers shot at a vehicle in Ner Moong village tract, which they later learned was carrying a Langkhur District GAD officer and his deputy, at around 1:00 p.m. on October 27.

The GAD officers had been sending supplies to the area’s polling station ahead of the general election on November 8.

“It was an accident. We did not have any plan to attack them,” Lt-Col Oum Khur explained.

Lt-Col Oum Khur said that the district GAD officer had informed the RCSS liaison office of their trip beforehand, but the information had mistakenly not been passed on to soldiers on duty in the area.

“They reported it to our liaison office. Our frontline troops didn’t have this information. When our soldiers were crossing the vehicle road, their convoy suddenly arrived there. Our soldiers were surprised and shot at them,” the RCSS spokesperson told SHAN.

Lt-Col Oum Khur said that the RCSS would punish the soldiers who attacked the GAD officers.

“Our headquarters will take effective action against the soldiers with our military disciplinary code,” he said.  

The RCSS has encouraged people to cast their ballots on November 8 without fear.

According to Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), the situation has returned to normal in Ner Moong and political parties are preparing to campaign there.

“There is nothing to worry about with the election there. We are preparing to launch an election campaign in the village tract from November 1 to 2,” Sai Kyaw Khine, an SNLD electoral candidate for Mongpan Township, told SHAN.

The two injured GAD officers have been receiving medical treatment in Sao San Htun hospital in Taunggyi since Tuesday.