By HSENG LENG / SHAN

The leader of a local civil society organization in northern Shan State’s Namkham Township and his son were shot and injured by an unidentified gunman outside their home this week.

Sai Aung Win, the head of United People – Namkham (UP), and his son were shot in front of their house in Nawng Sant ward in Namkham town. The gunman reportedly arrived by motorbike, and proceeded to shoot; Sai Aung Win was wounded in his abdomen and his son was shot in the arm.

“He has two gunshot injuries, to his back and his pelvis. A bullet also hit his stomach. His son has an injury to his arm. We don’t know which armed group attacked him,” Lung Sai Mauk Seng, the UP’s secretary, told SHAN.

No suspects had been apprehended at the time of reporting.

“We haven’t opened a file at the police station. Policemen came to Sai Aung Win’s house to investigate after the incident. The police officer collected all of the information,” Lung Sai Mauk Seng said.  

Sai Aung Win is currently receiving medical treatment in Namkham public hospital.

“The gunman came to shoot him while people were using the road. It shows that there is no rule of law in Namkham,” Namkham local Sai Aik said, noting that Sai Aung Win already had CCTV installed outside of his house, but still no arrest had been made.

This is the second attack on the UP head: an unidentified man threw a grenade into Sai Aung Win’s house in 2015.

SHAN called the Namkham police station for comment, but nobody had responded at the time of reporting.

Many armed groups are active in Namkham Township, including the Burma Army, ethnic armed organizations, and People’s Militia Forces.