3 pilgrims were killed during the shooting at Kim Mon camp at the base of Kyaik Htee Yoe Hill

Myanmar Spring Chronicle – October 12 Scenes
MoeMaKa, October 13 2022

3 pilgrims were killed during the shooting at Kim Mon camp at the base of Kyaik Htee Yoe Hill

In the afternoon today, an unknown armed group came in a car and opened fire on a military council security outpost located in the compound of the Kim Mon Camp at the foot of the mountain to the Kyaik Htee Yoe Pagoda in Kyaik Hto Township, Mon State.

When the military council fired back, 3 pilgrims were killed and more than a dozen were injured.

PDFs have fired several times in the past year at the outpost and police station in Kim Mon Camp, which is related to Kyaik Htee Yoe, and some policemen have been killed. On the Yangon-Mawlamyine road near Theinzayat in Kyaik Hto Township, there are frequent shootings and attacks on military council convoys.

In today’s shooting, there were deaths and injuries as there was a large number of pilgrims in the open season after the full moon day of Thadingyut. It is not yet known which group carried out today’s attack, but it is believed to be PDF forces formed locally. It may also include the help of KNU, which is active in this area.

A targeted attack on an outpost guarded by military council troops is not a major military target, and many military council soldiers will not be affected. But, on the other hand, because of the casualties of the pilgrims, it may become a factor to be used in the military council’s propaganda. There are reports that the pilgrims were hit and killed due to return fire from the military council’s soldiers, but there may be some criticism of the choice to attack such a target.

The choice to attack places where there are civilian pilgrims can cause the spread of propaganda by using religion.

In the period before the 88 uprising, there was an incident where KNU attacked the camp and the market place on Kyaik Htee Yoe Mountain and the incident now was an attack on the outpost of Kim Mon Camp in the foothills.

As armed forces against the military council, it is natural to attack military council outposts, but I think it is appropriate to be careful while choosing to attack some civilian places and religious places.

 

Another piece of news for today is that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced to 3 years in prison for corruption by the military council in Nay Pyi Taw, bringing the total prison sentence to 26 years. She was convicted by the court controlled by the military council for allegedly accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars from a well-known Myanmar crony entrepreneur, U Maung Weik, the owner of Sae Paing Company.

 

Although this 26-year sentence is unfair and no one believes that she will actually be sentenced, it can be guessed that the military council’s intention is to prevent the NLD leader from returning to the political arena as long as they are in power by looking at the increasing number of prison sentences after being charged with more than a dozen of such cases.

 

Another person sentenced to prison today is Japanese documentary filmmaker Toru Kubota. A few months ago, he came to Yangon, Myanmar on a visit visa, and was arrested by military council troops while filming a protest. Last month, he was sentenced to 7 years in prison with 2 sections (violating sedition and communications laws) and this time, he has been sentenced to 3 years for breaking an immigration law. After the Japanese documentary filmmaker was arrested, a member of the Japanese parliament who had good relations with the military council came to Nay Pyi Taw and talked about the release of their citizen, and it was said that they would consider releasing him after legal proceedings.

 

Under the military council, thousands of Myanmar people have lost their lives, tens of thousands have been arrested, and there are tens of thousands of political prisoners in prisons. So ,it is becoming a period to be recorded.