Police probe gun-wielding major general

Police probe gun-wielding major general

By Pyae Thet Phyo   |   Sunday, 18 August 2013

Police in Nay Pyi Taw say they expect to complete an investigation this week into complaints that a prominent general pulled a gun on farmers when tensions boiled over in a long-running land dispute.

As The Myanmar Times reported last month, the farmers allege that Major General Soe Shein, a personal staff officer of former Senior General Than Shwe, pointed a gun at them and threatened to shoot during the July 5 confrontation.

Police in Aye Lar village initially refused to act on the complaint submitted by Ko Aung Than Oo and Ma Khin Thint. In late July, however, Lewe township police station began interviewing witnesses.

U Soe Min Thein, the head of the township police force office in Lewe township, said on August 13 that police plan to interview 10 witnesses as part of their investigation, which they expect to finish in the third week of August.

He conceded there had been delays in investigating the complaints but said this was because some witnesses had been "sick or travelling".

"The police force office in Nay Pyi Taw has instructed me to conduct the investigation based on [farmers'] complaint and report the findings to the head of the township police force. The township police force will take it from there," he said.

Based on the evidence, he said, the township police office will decide whether to forward it to the court.

The alleged confrontation occurred after Maj Gen Soe Shein accused the farmers of cultivating land he acquired in 2010-11 under Myanmar's land laws because it was officially listed as vacant. The farmers say he acquired it improperly because he did not disclose that they were already farming it.

Maj Gen Soe Shein told The Myanmar Times on July 11 that he had repeatedly warned the villagers not to cultivate his land. He did not deny threatening them with a gun.

Lewe residents say they have received assistance from Daw Sandar Min, the Pyithu Hluttaw representative for Zabuthiri township from the National League for Democracy, in their efforts to get the authorities to investigate their allegations against Maj Gen Soe Shein.

Translated by Zar Zar Soe

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2013/08/19/police-probe-gun-wielding-major-general/