The official data says that a total of 2404 people have been killed by the military regime since the coup. The association also says that the actual numbers are likely much higher. We agree with that. Hundreds of deaths have not been recorded as murders by the military simply because in many cases, there was no bullet involved. However, many of our citizens have been killed by Min Aung Hlaing’s reign in an indirect way also. In this month alone, we have witnessed tragedies that were caused by the consequences of the military’s takeover. Let’s look back at some of those incidents.
Theingi @ Anaw aged 25
Ma Theingi, nicknamed Anaw, worked as a nurse until she decided to join the Civic Disobedience Movement (CDM) when the military coup took place on February 1. Enduring various hardships as a CDM staff, Ma Theingi and her husband decided to go to Thailand via an illegal border route to create a better life for their only child. As they crossed the border on October 7, 2022, they were spotted by Thai police. When the authorities tried to arrest them, both of them jumped into Moei (Thaungyin) River in a desperate attempt to make it to safety. Her husband managed to swim across the river but Ma Theingi tragically drowned to her death due to exhaustion.
Ko Ye Zaw aged 25
Ko Ye Zaw was a delivery man for a courier service in Yangon. On the evening of October 12, 2022, Ko Ye Zaw was robbed by a group of armed men in Hlaingtharyar Township. Not only did they take everything in his possession, but they also stabbed him to death. With a cut to the heart, Ko Ye Zaw died on the spot. Since the coup has taken place, thugs and gangs have reemerged all over the country and prey on civilians while the police and soldiers support them in the background, and Hlaingtharyar is one of the most notorious areas for such crimes. However, it was not even late in the night and he lived in the same township so little did Ko Ye Zaw know he would face such a fate.
Daw Kyee Myint aged 55
Daw Kyee Myint, the mother of prominent political activist Ko Lin Htet Naing was killed during the explosion inside Insein Prison as she was waiting in line to drop off necessary things for her detained son on October 19, 2022. The bomb inside a parcel exploded and the regime soldiers responded by carrying out an indiscriminate shooting which resulted in the deaths of five civilians including Daw Kyee Myint. Although the junta made it look like it was the doing of the resistance forces, it cannot be verified. Many speculated it could have been the regime that was behind the whole incident citing the level of security imposed in such a facility. As if losing a son to imprisonment isn’t hard enough, Daw Kyee Myint lost her own life in the most tragic way.
Ashin Ariyawuntharviwuntha @ Myawaddyi Min Gyi aged 70
Ashin Ariyawuntharviwuntha, better known as Myawaddy Min Gyi Sayadaw died in Maesot Hospital, Thailand on October 27, 2022. Sayadaw was from Mandalay Region and was prominent for his role in the defiance of the military throughout the years. He was sued and charged for criticizing the military back in 2019, and was arrested as soon as the coup took place. He spent six months behind the bars, and was released in August 2022. He had since then spent his time practicing Buddhism in the Thai-Myanmar border area, and passed away from sudden heart failure this month. Sayadaw was known for his good health, but it had deteriorated since he was arrested.
In one form or another, those mentioned above have participated in the resistance. The lives that could have been prosperous if it weren’t for Min Aung Hlaing…
