Lieutenant Colonel Than Zaw Hein, deputy battalion commander of the military council forces and from a family of Ma Ba Tha extremists, was killed during a battle with the Arakan Army (AA) in Nyaung Kyoe village, Pantaung Township, Bago Region. According to CDM Major Zin Yaw, the deputy battalion commander was among numerous military casualties in the battle that occurred on February 22. The confirmation of his death came through social media from his mother, Daw Khin Nyo Nyo, owner of A-1 Robe Shop in Pyinmana Township, Naypyidaw.
Than Zaw Hein, originally from Katha, came from a family of strong military supporters. His parents currently reside in Pyinmana Township, Naypyidaw, where they run a Buddhist robe shop business. The family has been known for their unwavering support of the military council, with his mother notably organizing pro-military rallies in Katha immediately after the military coup, paying people 20,000 kyats each to attend these demonstrations. The family has been identified as hardcore supporters of Ma Ba Tha and ultranationalist movements.
The deceased lieutenant colonel was 36 years old at the time of his death and was a graduate of the Defense Services Academy Intake 50. He left behind three children. His body was transported to Naypyidaw for cremation. Following his death, Ma Ba Tha extremist monks and ultranationalist figure Naung Taung Lay’s Myanmar National Post shared poems of condolence, which his mother Daw Khin Nyo Nyo subsequently shared on social media. The family’s strong ties to extremist Buddhist nationalist movements and their active role in supporting the military council’s activities, particularly in organizing pro-military demonstrations in Katha during the post-coup period, highlight their position as prominent supporters of the military regime.
