The body of a man bearing severe injuries was found in a disused fish pond near a housing development project in Mawlamyine, Mon State, local residents said on Sunday.
The body was discovered at around 6 a.m. on Jan. 18 near the Hlaing Yadana New Town project, according to residents. Witnesses said the man was found face-down in the pond with multiple injuries to his head, face and temples, as well as a deep wound to his neck.
“He had serious head and facial injuries and what appeared to be a slashing wound to the neck,” a local resident who saw the body said, adding that the death appeared recent. “Police are still investigating, but it looks like a homicide.”
Local sources identified the victim as a 42-year-old man from Hlaing ward, who lived near the Mawlamyine ring road.
After initial examinations by authorities and ward administrators, the body was transported to Mawlamyine General Hospital for a post-mortem by a local emergency rescue group, residents said.
Violent crime has become increasingly common in Mawlamyine, residents said, raising concerns over public safety and weak law enforcement. Some residents said victims’ families are often reluctant to report cases, citing a lack of trust in authorities.
Earlier this month, a retired schoolteacher in her 70s was found killed in the city’s Auk Kyaing ward, with jewellery reportedly stolen. No arrests have been announced in that case.
