On May 22, a retired Brigadier General and former ambassador to Cambodia, Cho Tun Aung, was shot dead in Yangon. This horrific incident did occur, with the arrests of 16 individuals, including a six-year-old girl. The murder occurred near Cho Tun Aung’s home in Myanmar’s business hub. The attack has put a spotlight on the largely under-reported Golden Valley Warriors, a paramilitary group that took responsibility for the attack.
Cho Tun Aung, 68, was gunned down on March 27 as he was leaving his house. This tragic incident highlights the rampant, targeted killing violence occurring in Myanmar since the military coup in 2021. In response to the assassination, the military junta arrested 16 suspects in four areas of the country. Among those detained is 6-year-old Lin Latt Shwe. She is the daughter of Myo Ko Ko, who allegedly helped run the operation and is known to use at least three other aliases. Lin Latt Shwe’s mother was arrested during the raid in the central city of Bagan.
The group that took responsibility for the assassination, the Golden Valley Warriors, denies any affiliation with the arrested suspects. The Irrawaddy, an independent Burmese news outlet, was the first to report these dramatic developments. At the same time, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar officially acknowledged the arrests. Thirteen of the detainees are males and three are females. This begs the question of why they would allow one of the youngest children in their midst.
The assassination is yet another sign of a deeply troubling trend. It specifically targets high-ranking military officials, civil servants, local leaders, and anyone identified as an informant or opposition supporter of the ruling military junta. Ever since the military coup that ousted the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, violence has escalated across the country. This quickly growing rebellion has plunged the country into a civil war which is intensifying by the day.
