Statement made by Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun regarding event in Tamu along India border
Two men was shot dead at 12:30 hours on 5th July in Sawbwa Ward 9 in Tamu. This case was reported by a local people to the Police. Acting on the information, the security forces led by the Commander of Tamu Township Police Force rushed to the scene of incident. A Hindu,35, and another one,32, were found to be dead with the gun wounds in the head.
Upon checking
around the scene of incident, the Township police and the security forces found out according to the witnesses that two people entered Sawbwa Ward with a motorbike at about 12:30 hours, that a group of terrorists shot them to death and fled and that the dead bodies were sent to Tamu Township General Hospital.
He went on to say that Tamu Township Police Station filed a case of death, that the corpses were examined in the presence of town elders and the Ward Administrator, that no one came to claim their bodies and that they were thus cremated at 7 am the next day at Tamu Cemetery.
At 1:30 pm on the day that followed this event, a responsible official from the border trade association in Moray in Manipur State in India contacted our side over the phone, said the Maj-Gen.
They said those who were killed were Thimoha,28, and Arabna, 35, from a Hindu Ward in Moray.
According to them, they entered our side on 5th July from the middle gate. But they didn’t mention the fact that whether they entered legally or illegally.
As Tamu of our side and Moray from the other side are situated along the border, it is natural that people from both sides are crossing each other’s border. So, it does not count whether they have entered our side legally or illegally.
What is worth mentioning is that on 5th July, the PDF guys raided Tamu Township Road Transport Administration Department Office and destroyed the building. During the incident, there were exchanges of fire. Before this raid, the said two victims were killed.
At about 3 pm on 6th July, a crowd of 50 from India side staged a demonstration over the death of the two Hindus, and they threw
stones at a teashop in Tamu. However, the mob was dispersed by the Moray Border Trade Association and the security forces from both sides. The demonstrators left peacefully.
The event was reported to Myanmar side by Moray security forces and their Myanmar counterparts also reported on this event to Moray side. Upon receipt of this information, both sides took necessary action respectively to manage the issue. The problem has been solved despite emergence of certain allegations. This event was created to cause a misunderstanding that the victims were shot to death by Myanmar troops. Their aim is to adversely affect bilateral ties.
Nevertheless,
the armed forces from both nations are always in contact with each other, and so, the problem has been solved. Not only the armed forces but also the foreign ministries have contacted each other to clarify matters. Both sides have exercised restraint in addressing this issue.
Official investigation is being conducted in this regard in a proper manner.
Additionally, we have already signed an agreement to ensure stability along the border.
Under this agreement, Myanmar government will not allow those organisations opposing the India government to set foot and be based on Myanmar soil to be active against India, and the India government will do the same. This case is under detailed investigation, and measures are being taken in such a way as not to adversely affect the friendship between the two countries.
As Tamu is a border town, this sort of issue is not unusual. There are certain illegal armed organisations there. In those days too, there were groups like Cookies and Kacha. Nowadays, there are terrorist PDFs, and they would issue this and that statement to create misunderstanding of Myanmar government.
In Tamu, there are such terrorist groups like Tamu Civil Guerilla and Tamu PDF.
According to their statements, there are three PDF battalions there. We have arrested some of them already. Certain entrepreneurs in Tamu are providing support to PDFs, and so, we thus have had to issue warning. We have had times to detain some of them for interrogation.
A month ago, the Tamu PDFs raided Okpo-Kanbaung prison camp in Tamu. During the raid, they have taken some weapons.
But there are also some cases which have occurred not because of political motif but because of business problems.
This case is committed by the PDFs, I think. In this regard, I would like to point out that we have good relationship with India for a very long time. Anyway,we understand the concern of the Indian side. We are taking prompt action to be able to arrest the criminal. I would like to assure that we lay emphasis upon the stability along the border. The truth is that there are certain media and individuals which are lobbying for the PDFs. We, therefore, would like to urge the local populace from both sides to join hands with us in maintaining and further strengthening bilateral ties.
