A villager was shot dead by a Burmese soldier in central Shan State’s Mong Hsu Township on Wednesday morning, according to a member of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD).

Nang Kongkham, one of the SNLD leaders in Mong Hsu, said that the incident happened at a Burmese army checkpoint between Mong Hsu and Tangyan Township on Wednesday at about 10:30am. The victim, Sai Su, 40, was driving his motorbike back home when he was shot after allegedly failing to stop when ordered.

“He [Sai Su] was driving back home when he arrived at the checkpoint near Nang Gaohant pagoda,” she told Shan Herald. “He was then ordered to stop but was unable to control the brake. A Burmese soldier shot him.”

Nang Kongkham said that the Burmese military has responded, saying that the shooting was a mistake. It said the soldiers at the checkpoint fired over the man’s head as a warning, but a bullet inadvertently hit him.

She added that government authorities would not allow her or other interested parties to inspect the body or take photos.

“They only permitted his family to see the body,” she said. “And they ordered them to bury the body right away. Sai Su was buried at 3:30pm.”

Sai Su used to be a village leader in the nearby village of Khojom, but had retired due to a mental illness. He is survived by his wife and two children, aged 20 and 18, respectively.

“Mong Hsu is like Hell,” said local resident Nang Shwe Aing. “It is not a good place to live anymore. It’s horrible. No one dares to go out at night.”

Shan Herald reported earlier this month that two villagers, Loong Sarnglu and his niece Nang Jing, had been seriously injured when they stepped on a landmine in the Mong Hsu area.