Paletwa man suffers gunshot wound

By Hnin Nwe 10 Jun 2020

Hnin Nwe | DMG
10 June, Paletwa

A civilian from the town of Paletwa, Chin State, was injured by gunfire on June 9, according to family members of the victim.

The man, identified as 24-year-old Ko Kyaw Kyaw Oo from Yokewa village, is an internally displaced person (IDP) sheltering at the home of a relative in Paletwa.

The victim was hit by a stray bullet believed to have been fired from the direction of Tatmadaw troops stationed in Meeletwa village, on the opposite bank of the Kaladan River, while he was at his relative’s house, a Paletwa resident said.

“He sustained a gunshot wound while having a conversation with family members at his relative’s house in Paletwa, when gunfire was heard from Meeletwa village,” he added.

Locals in Paletwa accused a military battalion under the Tatmadaw’s Light Infantry Division No. 55, deployed in Meeletwa village, of having fired the bullet.

DMG attempted to contact Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun and Maj-Gen Tun Tun Nyi of the Tatmadaw True News Information Team for comment, but they could not be reached.

Ko Kyaw Kyaw Oo was hospitalised with an injury to the chest and is currently receiving medical treatment at Paletwa Hospital, according to family members.

Ko Kyaw Kyaw Oo cares for both his wife and grandfather, who is visually impaired. In the aftermath of the shooting, the family is worried about their livelihood as they wait for the young man to make what they hope will be a full recovery, his grandfather told DMG.

“Being a visually impaired person, we solely rely on his contributions and he looks after our family members. I feel so sorry as he was hit by the bullet. Who will take care of us if he dies?” asked the grandfather, U Done Tha Aung.

Efforts to reach Chin State government spokesperson U Soe Htet for comment on the incident were unsuccessful.

The number of civilians killed or injured in armed clashes between the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army in Paletwa Township from January to May of this year has reportedly reached 40, according to figures released by the Chin IDP Support Committee.