Border Guard Force kills its own company commander
An officer with the Burma Army’s militia, the Border Guard Force, was killed by a sniper from another BGF battalion in the Myaing Gyi Ngu special region, Hlaingbwe Township, Karen State. Sources Karen News spoke to about the shooting differ on the reasons behind the killing.
According to a BGF source, early on the morning of March 16th, a sniper from BGF battalion 1012 shot at a car carrying the Captain Tin Nyunt, a company commander, from BGF battalion 1011, at Yin Paing Bridge (Yaw Po Toh).
“Captain Tin Nyunt and his younger brother were on their way from Myaing Gyi Ngu to Yay Ta Kun. A sniper shot at them at Yin Paing Bridge and Captain Tin Nyunt was killed instantly. Luckily, his younger brother who was driving the car was unhurt.”
A Democratic Karen Buddhist Army Captain from liaison office at Myawaddy told Karen News he thought the killing was a case of mistaken identity the BGF Captain Tin Nyunt was riding in a car belonging to DKBA battalion 905.
“He was in our battalion commander’s battalion 905 car. Captain Tin Nyunt caught a ride with his younger brother who was taking the DKBA car to repair. The BGF soldier shot them because they thought it was a DKBA car.”
Major Eh Hser Hser, the office manager at Karen National Liberation Army’s Brigade 7 told Karen News the shooting was likely the result of a power struggle within the BGF.
“There is no discipline and no enforced policy in the BGF. They are trying to rule each other, they are frustrated with each other and it has ended with the shooting of one of their own officers.”
Residents in the region say the area where the killing happened is under the joint control of BGF battalions 1011 and 1012. The battalion commander of 1011 is Major Soe Naing and the battalion commander of 1012 is Major Aung Lin. The shooting within the BGF is the first time it has happened this year.
