Nearly one month after NLD legal advisor Ko Ni was assassinated at the airport and Ne Win, a taxi driver who helped chase down the culprit, was killed on the scene, State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi has released a public statement on (where else?) the Myanmar State Counsellor Office’s Facebook page commending Ne Win for his bravery.
Recounting the horrific events of the day, the statement highlights Ne Win’s courage in a moment where everyone else was fearful for their lives.
The statement recalls, “While most of them [the taxi drivers] were wary of going near the gunman because he had a gun on him, U Ne Win courageously, and with disregard for his own life and the warnings of bystanders, threw a nearby brick at the gunman that hit the back of his head. Ne Win’s bravery also further motivated the others who were helping chase the culprit, and they were able to capture Kyi Lin.”
However, the gunman shot Ne Win before he could be arrested, and the latter died as a result of his injuries. Citizens across the country hailed Ne Win as a national hero, cramming into the cemetery to pay their respects on the day of his funeral.
Echoing the NLD’s earlier description of the murder as a ‘terrorist act’, Suu Kyi’s statement reads, “As we transition into a democracy and unite the people, we will always remember U Ne Win’s sacrifice; for citizens, it is an encouragement to fight against terrorism and oppose violence.”
“As citizens, we call on you to emulate U Ne Win’s sacrifice, bravery, and sense of duty, and do the noble thing and oppose injustice [in any situation] in order to help us as we work together towards the future of our country and build a safe and peaceful nation.”
It should be noted that Suu Kyi has yet to release a statement addressing Ko Ni’s death, and sources say that she has not privately reached out to his family either following the attack.
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