Top election official shot dead in Myanmar
- The anti-coup People’s Defence Forces are responsible for killing deputy director Sai Kyaw Thu of the Union Election Commission, army says
- The military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government in 2021 over unsubstantiated allegations of election voter fraud
The deputy head of Myanmar’s election commission was shot dead in Yangon on Saturday by rebel fighters, the military said, in the latest killing of a high-profile individual linked to the country’s junta.
Myanmar’s military has led a bloody crackdown on dissent after seizing power in a coup more than two years ago, sparking social unrest and an economic crisis.
Self-declared civilian “People’s Defence Forces” have sprung up in opposition to the junta, with their fighters targeting officials perceived to be working with the military.
Deputy director Sai Kyaw Thu of the Union Election Commission was shot dead in the township of Thingangyun in eastern Yangon, the army’s information team said in a statement.
It said anti-coup “People’s Defence Forces” were responsible but did not give further details.
The military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government in February 2021 over unsubstantiated allegations of voter fraud in elections the previous year.
