Junta soldiers arrested three men and shot two of them dead after they discovered a hunting musket, in Dawei District on 7 February.

At around 7:00 a.m. about 20 junta soldiers arrived at a rubber farm in Yange Village, Thayetchaung Township. They searched the farmhouse and discovered a Tumee rifle, a common type of single-shot musket for hunting, that some people have also used against the junta.

On discovering the Tumee rifle the junta soldiers beat three men, then arrested them and took them away. Two were shot in the head and killed at the side of the road near the rubber farm and the third was released.

A Yange villager said: “They were apprehended after a Tumee rifle was discovered in the house. The owner of the house, Ko Paing Soe, was also arrested. Soon after, gunshots were heard and we discovered the two dead bodies.”

The two killed men were reported to be the house owner, Ko Paing Soe, age 30 and Ko Phyo Ngal Zaw, age 23.

Residents said they were cremated by family members at 1:00 p.m. on 8 February.