Authorities have arrested the perpetrators responsible for the brutal triple homicide of a grandfather, his daughter, and grandson in Payathonzu Township, located along the Thai-Myanmar border, according to local sources.
The incident occurred on November 19, 2024, when U Rakhine, a 69-year-old retired electrical worker; his 36-year-old daughter, Daw Thaint Thaint Thu; and his 6-year-old grandson, Maung Zaw Win Htun, were abducted and murdered by an unidentified group.
Following the incident, local armed group officials investigated the case and apprehended the suspects.
“Both suspects were former police officers from Rakhine State who had defected to the Karen National Union (KNU) after joining the CDM (Civil Disobedience Movement). They were assigned to tasks by the KNU as part of its campaign to eliminate informants. The KNU arrested them, stripped them of their roles, and detained them,” said a local source speaking to IMNA.
The source added that a mistake in intelligence led to the killings of the three innocent family members.
“The original target was not U Rakhine, the retired electrical worker, but another EPC employee. Due to faulty intelligence provided by the KNU unit in town, U Rakhine and his family were wrongly targeted and killed,” the source explained.
Payathonzu is known for lawlessness, with frequent occurrences of shootings, thefts, and murders involving multiple armed groups. However, this is reportedly the first time such a mass killing, including a child, has occurred in the area.
The suspects are currently detained by the KNU, pending further investigation.
