In Nat Htamin village of Minle Township, Bago Region, village administrator Thant Naing Soe, who had been forcing civilians and youth who couldn’t afford military service fees into porter service for the military, was killed in a shooting by the Thayarwaddy District PDF forces. On March 8 at approximately 11:45 AM, joint forces from Thayarwaddy District Battalion 3802’s Companies 2 and 3, along with Minle Township People’s Defense Force, entered the administrator’s house and shot him, resulting in his immediate death from three gunshot wounds to the head.
The deceased administrator, also known as Ngaylae, had been forcefully collecting money from local residents under the guise of military service fees. He was known for reporting to the military and arranging arrests of impoverished civilians who couldn’t afford to pay these fees. He would also provide false information to the military to facilitate civilian arrests. Additionally, he had been challenging and dismissing the revolutionary forces, which ultimately led to him being targeted in this attack.
According to a spokesperson from the Thayarwaddy District PDF, the administrator’s actions had caused severe hardship for local residents. Many people had been forced to flee their homes and abandon their livelihoods, fearing conscription into porter service for the military due to their inability to pay the demanded fees. Despite numerous complaints from civilians to the PDF forces, the administrator remained defiant and continued to challenge the PDF forces boldly.
The Thayarwaddy District Battalion 3802 Company 3 has issued a warning stating that they will continue to intensify their operations against the terrorist military and their supporters who are causing suffering to civilians and revolutionary forces. They have advised civilians to avoid staying or traveling near such military-affiliated individuals and installations.
