A civilian was killed and another injured when junta troops opened fire during an attempt to arrest a Mon Peace Defense Force leader in Kyonwan village, Kyaikmaraw Township, Mon State.
According to local sources, the incident occurred around 10 p.m. on April 30, near a gambling site operating in Kyarinnkone village, close to Mawlamyine’s industrial zone. Troops under the command of the junta’s Mon State Minister for Security and Border Affairs were conducting an inspection when they opened fire. A man in his 40s was fatally shot, while a woman sustained injuries.
“The gambling site in Kyarinn is protected by a group led by Nai A Byin. Everyone knows they’re involved in drug sales. The site was reportedly opened with permission from the junta’s Southeastern Command. But suddenly, orders came down from the state-level military to arrest Nai A Byin and his group. I don’t know if they heard gunfire first or saw the soldiers, but a man riding a motorbike was shot dead, and a woman was injured. The man was from Kyonwan village and the woman was from Kyaik Parang,” a local resident said.
Locals confirmed that Nai A Byin’s Mon Peace Defense Force was providing security for gambling operations that had received formal permission from the junta’s Southeastern Military Command.
After the shooting, junta forces entered Kyonwan village and arrested Nai A Byin along with members of his family. Their current whereabouts remain unknown.
“The military junta had assigned security duties along the industrial zone road to Kyaik Parang. Gambling and drug distribution have been going on for some time. Now, Nai A Byin and all his men have been arrested,” said another local source.
The Mon Peace Defense Force headquarters is located near Letpan village along the Mawlamyine–Hpa-An road in Kyaikmaraw Township. The group also operates a checkpoint near Ka Yone Cave, where they collect tolls from travelers. The group is led by Nai A Byin
“He’s one of their people once he pays enough, they’ll probably release him,” a local in Kyaikmaraw commented.
Nai A Byin’s group reportedly moved into the area to provide security along the Mawlamyine–Krong Maning–Kyonwan–Kyaik Parang route after the military stationed troops in Tayarna village following intense fighting in 2024 near Kawt Bein and Dhammasa villages in the Gyaing River region.
