The Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) has criticised the military regime after soldiers shot dead a father and his two sons in Tang Yang Township, Lashio District, northern Shan State.

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SSPP spokesperson Lt-Col Sai Hsu commented, “We have already signed a union-level ceasefire agreement. And they accuse civilians of being members of the SSPP and then kill them. We cannot accept this: a father and two sons are killed by the Burmese military. This is such a brutal action and in my opinion an aggressive action against the SSPP.”

Regime soldiers from Infantry Battalion 136, based in Mong Pat, arrived at the victims’ house in Mang Loi in four trucks at around 4pm on 22 February and shot Loung Ohn and his sons Sai Wan and Sai Tun Kyaw.

They were all blacksmiths who also repaired traditional hunting weapons for the village.

“They have nothing to do with the SSPP—they’re ordinary civilians. They have probably repaired guns of SSPP soldiers in the past, but I’m sure they aren’t members…We have (our own) weapons repair department,” Sai Hsu told SHAN.

A local who spoke anonymously to SHAN for fear of reprisals said, “First the soldiers shouted, ‘Is this the SSPP’s house?’ Then they surrounded the house and shot them. After that they took their bodies away and I don’t know where. They also took things from the house.”

There is no rule of law in this country, he said. And now the military regime is ruling the country with martial law, so civilians have to watch out. He said the junta must take full responsibility for the killing of these civilians.

The regime frequently carries out air and ground attacks on the ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) and civilians and their villages. Many people consider the regime’s recent unilateral ceasefire a total farce.