Witnesses report that two local farmers were shot from behind while returning home from work.

NAMTU TOWNSHIP—Soldiers from the Burma Army Battalion 77 shot two civilians in a village in Shan State’s Namtu Township on the evening of July 4, local witnesses reported.

One of the victims was Sai Maung, 40, of the nearby village of Pang Long, who suffered a serious injury to his hip after being shot by soldiers active in the area. At the time of publication, information was not available about the identity or condition of the second victim.

According to a Pang Long resident who wished to remain anonymous, the attack occurred while Sai Maung and his friend were returning home from their fields, where they work in subsistence agriculture.

“Sai Maung and his friend were singing so they didn’t hear when the Burma soldiers ordered them to stop,” said Sai Aik Na, another Pang Long resident who witnessed the incident. “The Burma soldiers then shot them from behind.”
Sai Maung was taken to a Hsipaw hospital later that night.

Pang Long village is located in a contested area controlled by the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA), but which has also witnessed increased an increased presence of Burma Army troops and outposts in recent years.