YANGON: On September 22, Zero guerrilla group leader Ko Thet Gyi publicly apologised on social media for the wrongful killing of writer and poet U Myint San in Maletha village, Ayadaw Township, in 2022.
At the time, the group accused U Myint San of being a leader of the Pyu Saw Htee militia and claimed he had guided the military into the village on February 2, which led to his execution the next day. However, many locals who knew his background criticised the killing as a mistake and demanded accountability.
In his recent statement, Ko Thet Gyi admitted the group had acted wrongly while carrying out clearance operations in Sagaing. He described himself as partly responsible, saying the decision was made locally, and expressed deep regret to the family. He added that the family accepted the apology, and the case had also been reported to higher officials in the resistance movement.
Civil society groups in Sagaing had already called in 2022 for evidence to justify the accusation, or, if it was baseless, for all those involved to issue a full apology and accept future legal responsibility.
U Myint San had long been active in community development and civil society, particularly in peace and democracy efforts, before being wrongly accused and killed. - Eleven Media/ANN
