The Venerable U Thuzata, the abbot of Hlaing Kway Monastery in Kawkareik Township, Karen State, has passed away following indiscriminate shooting by the military forces. The incident occurred on the morning of May 9 when the military fired into Hlaing Kway village in Taung Kya Inn village tract. The venerable monk sustained gunshot wounds while inside the monastery compound and passed away before he could be transported to the hospital.
According to local residents, the military has been continuously firing heavy weapons from the direction of Koe Taing both day and night. The shooting into Hlaing Kway village was reportedly carried out under the assumption that members of the Three Fingers Movement and KNU forces were present in the area. Due to the ongoing conflict in the area where the monastery is located, a request has been submitted to the Township Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee to conduct an abbreviated funeral ceremony for the venerable monk.
The military has been conducting sustained attacks using heavy weapons, drones, and aerial bombardment in the Kawkareik, Kyondoe, and Taung Kya Inn areas from March through May. These attacks have resulted in the deaths of more than twenty civilians, including Buddhist monks, and injuries to approximately thirty people. Currently, as KNLA allied forces continue their offensive against military council outposts in Koe Taing, Bridge Kyoe, and Three-Story Building areas, the fighting has intensified. Local sources report that the military continues to respond with drone strikes and aerial bombardment in the region.
