Yesterday, the Irrawaddy reported on a leaked police document claiming that a man called Myint Swe might have been the person who called for Sunday’s attack on NLD legal advisor Ko Ni. In the document, the assailant, Kyi Myint, is quoted as saying, “He [Myint Swe] asked me to kill a Kalar for a car,” using ‘kalar,’ the derogatory term for a Muslim person, to refer to Ko Ni.
An officer from the Myawaddy Police Station confirmed to Coconuts that Myint Swe was arrested in Myawaddy yesterday and is currently being transported to the Mingaladon Police Station in Yangon. Myint Swe was questioned during his short stint at the Myawaddy Police Station, but the officer was unable to provide any details about the interrogation.
According to the Irrawaddy article, Myint Swe’s bronze casting skills and interest in antiques meant he would often imitate ancient bronze materials, and smuggle ancient artifacts; he was even arrested several times for the latter. He travelled to the town of Myawaddy in Kayin State in 1990 but has not been seen in recent years, even by his then-wife. Before Sunday, no one knew whether Myint Swe was even still alive.
This is a developing story, please check back for updates.
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