In Nat Htamin village of Minle Township, Bago Region, village administrator Thant Naing Soe was killed in a targeted attack by resistance forces for forcibly recruiting civilians and youth who could not pay military service fees. According to a spokesperson from the Thayawady District PDF, the incident occurred around 11:45 AM on March 8, when joint forces from Battalion 3802’s Companies 2 and 3, along with Minle Township People’s Defense Force, entered the administrator’s house and shot him. He sustained three gunshot wounds to the head, resulting in immediate death. The administrator had been extorting money from impoverished civilians under the pretext of military service fees and arranging for the arrest of those who couldn’t pay by reporting them to the military.
The village administrator was targeted for his actions of defying revolutionary forces and challenging them while actively assisting the military council’s oppressive measures. According to a responsible official from the Thayawady District People’s Defense Force, the administrator’s actions had severely impacted local residents’ livelihoods and economic stability. Due to his practice of forcing young people who couldn’t pay military service fees into military service and porter duties, villagers were forced to flee their homes, unable to work their regular jobs, leading to significant hardship and food insecurity in the community. The administrator’s collaboration with the military council had created an atmosphere of fear and instability in the village, disrupting normal civilian life and economic activities.
Battalion 3802 Company 3 of Thayawady District has issued a statement warning civilians to avoid areas near military forces and their collaborators, as they plan to intensify operations against the military council and its supporting infrastructure. The announcement emphasized their commitment to opposing the military’s violence and oppression, stating they would increase actions against those cooperating with the military council. The statement particularly stressed the importance of civilian safety and urged local residents to remain vigilant and avoid areas where military supporters are active. This incident represents a continuation of the resistance forces’ efforts to disrupt the military council’s administrative control and protect civilians from forced recruitment and exploitation.
