By THE IRRAWADDY 25 February 2017
Ye Ni: Welcome to Dateline Irrawaddy! This week, we’ll
discuss and analyze official statements regarding the assassination of lawyer U
Ko Ni, which have attracted public attention. U Swe Win, chief reporter of the
Myanmar Now news agency and writer and journalist Daw Mon Mon Myat will join me
for the discussion. I’m Irrawaddy Burmese editor Ye Ni.
As you know, it has now been more than three weeks since
U Ko Ni was assassinated. The President’s Office has so far released three
statements. According to the latest statement, former lieutenant colonel [of
the Burma Army] Aung Win Khaing paid his brother Aung Win Zaw and assassin Kyi
Lin to kill the lawyer. Local media outlets have continued to report on the
case in response to queries by the members of the public. People, however, are
not satisfied with the government’s statements and speculate that there is a
mastermind behind the assassination. Ma Mon Mon Myat, are you satisfied with
the government’s handling of the case?
Mon Mon Myat: Frankly speaking, I’m quite disappointed
that the government didn’t release sufficient information three weeks after the
assassination. The first statement from the President’s Office stated that the
case was specifically related to the stability of the country. Because we felt
that the assassination was carried out with the intention of disrupting the
stability of the country, there was a need for members of the public to be
informed. We expected more detailed statements or a press conference.
The government released the first statement one day after
the assassination, the second statement a week later and the third statement
about two weeks later. The information in the statements was not sufficient to
satisfy the public. I’m quite disappointed with it. [Patron] U Tin Oo of the
National League for Democracy [NLD] also expressed his disappointment. We feel
like [the government] is buying time.
There were similar cases under the military regime. This
has aroused suspicion that the government is trying to sell a story and stall
so the mastermind can get away. Journalists and reporters have tried to gather
as much information as possible from any possible sources because we can no
longer expect that the ministry related to security can handle it alone.
People cannot wait to be informed about the assassination
plot. The media and the public are searching for more information both on
social media and from other sources in order to assist the concerned ministry.
YN: The government’s handling of the case has been
incompetent from the very beginning. Only because of taxi drivers was Kyi Lin
arrested, and the involvement of Aung Win Khaing was not thoroughly exposed.
According to the latest statement from the President’s
Office, Aung Win Khaing has become the main suspect. But he has already
escaped. And the statement only said that police were in hot pursuit of the
fugitive, but did not issue a “wanted” notice against him. So, there have been
many questions about the government’s treatment of the case. The statement
suggests that the case ends with Aung Win Khaing. If Aun Win Khaing is not
found, then the case has to be closed.
It seems that we have to accept the government’s theory
about the case and the consequential trial. Ko Swe Win, as you have been
investigating the case and found out about Ko Aung Soe [who rejected the job to
kill U Ko Ni], do you think the government’s theory and handling of the case
are acceptable?
Swe Win: We don’t fully understand the police and
investigation procedures so we cannot point out their shortcomings
scientifically. But as an ordinary citizen who is closely monitoring the case,
we are not at all satisfied with the government’s handling of it.
Firstly, regarding the [Rangoon] airport CCTV records,
there were other suspicious people apart from Aung Win Khaing. The government
did not release information about them and still has not. And it released the
statement about Aung Win Khaing too late. It was released 17 days after the assassination.
I also found it interesting that Aung Win Zaw, who is
Aung Win Khaing’s elderly brother, was arrested the morning of Jan. 30, 12
hours after the assassination. But it then took 16 days to release information
about his younger brother. The police already had clear CCTV images. So why did
it take so long to get information from Aung Win Zaw about his brother? The
government has a responsibility to explain this to the public. I find no reason
for the government to keep it a secret. Considering things like the government
not releasing the complete CCTV footage, I think the government and authorities
were not so honest in handling the case.
Regarding the release of information, it was more than a
habitual reluctance to publish the news. I would say they deliberately imposed
a news blackout so that people could not make heads or tails of what was
happening.
For example, regarding Aung Win Zaw, there have been many
rumors about his character—people say that he was imprisoned for extramarital
affairs and is a former military officer. Others say that drugs and gems were
seized from his house. Don’t people have the right to know about his
background? If he is a former military officer, we should be informed. But the
government did not disclose this. And we know nothing about the police chase or
how Aung Win Khaing escaped from the airport.
Four or five days before the government released the
third statement, we already had pictures of the car that supposedly took Aung
Win Zaw away from the airport. The license plate number of the car in our
pictures matches that of the car in CCTV records.
People were not informed about how Aung Win Khaing
escaped from the airport. And how many more suspects are wanted by the police?
There should at least be a number. Two? Four? How many? Police say nothing
about the number of suspects. The way the government has presented the case to
the public suggests that if Aung Win Khaing is not arrested, no more suspects
can be identified. This is totally unacceptable.
Aung Win Khaing and Aung Win Zaw are not strangers, but
blood brothers. Aung Win Zaw is the elder brother and suppose both of them
served in the military, Aung Win Zaw should be senior to him. It is quite
unlikely that a man would work as a contract killer for his younger brother. It
is nonsense and totally unacceptable to people with common sense. So, what did
they find out from Aung Win Zaw and why didn’t they make public? Why didn’t
they release the pictures of other suspects from the CCTV cameras? I would ask
if the government is afraid that those suspects will be arrested if the
pictures are released.
YN: It has been nearly a month now [since the
assassination]. But the government still has not held a press conference and
has not provided the information that people want to know. People have
questioned the motive behind the assassination. Lawyer U Ko Ni was a strong
advocate for reforming the 2008 Constitution, and he was a Muslim. People
speculate that he was targeted for both reasons. But this is just speculation.
We have not yet heard anything from the government about the motive behind the
assassination. What is your assessment, Ma Mon Mon Myat?
MMM: There have bitter attacks against U Ko Ni for years,
stemming either from personal hatred or religious intolerance against U Ko Ni.
According Ko Aung Soe’s investigation, the crime was organized and the
assassination was plotted last year. A group had been plotting to kill U Ko Ni,
but we do not know who was involved in that group.
I am sure there is a group that harbored a grudge against
U Ko Ni. Why did they harbor grudge against him? The answer is simple. As Ko Ye
Ni has said, killing U Ko Ni was like killing three birds with one stone. It
could disrupt the stability of the country, trigger racial and religious conflict,
and tarnish the image of the government. His death was also a serious loss for
the NLD as he was a tower of strength for them. Killing such a person can
create a lot of consequences. I think that is why he was killed.
YN: If there is a group like the one mentioned by Ma Mon
Myat, can’t the police identify and arrest that group? How can police arrest
them? Ko Swe Win, as you are close to the police, what do you think?
SW: I’m not close to the police. We do our own business.
I think those who would commit such a secret and serious crime would only
cooperate with three specific groups. The first group is those who have
committed big crimes together [ex-accomplices]; the second group is trusted
relatives; and the third group is close childhood friends and trusted partners.
Only people belonging to these three groups would commit crimes together.
Therefore, the police should investigate thoroughly and rigorously the people
belonging to these three groups. But, as far as I know, police are not
conducting such an investigation.
YN: Ko Swe Win, Ma Mon Myat, thank you for your
contributions!