A soldier belonging to the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) in northern Shan State’s Kutkai Township shot and killed a schoolteacher—who was reportedly his ex-girlfriend—at her home on January 24.

The shooting of Lway Mya Mwe Aung occurred in Huay Hkok village at around 7:00 p.m. last Friday. 

On January 27, the TNLA released a statement stating that the alleged perpetrator, Mai Hpoe Sein, was in their custody and would be charged under their law. The TNLA will then update the public on the results of his trial. 

“The armed group confessed that their soldier committed the murder. I don’t know what sentence they will give him,” Aung Win, Lway Mya Mwe Aung’s uncle, said, adding that soldiers should not use their weapons to confront personal problems. 

“They need to separate their organization and private life. We want justice for her,” uncle Aung Win told SHAN. He said that he hoped the TNLA would “take serious action” to deter future violence. 

SHAN contacted both the Kutkai police station and TNLA spokesperson Maj Aik Kyaw for comment, but received no response. 

Aung Win said he was deeply saddened about the loss of his niece, and described her as good-natured.