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Myanmar gov't continues investigation into legal advisor assassination case

Xinhua, February 3, 2017 Adjust font size:

Myanmar government is continuing to make urgent investigation into the case of assassinating a prominent legal advisor of the ruling party U Ko Ni.

Security measures are being specially tightened in the country.

The gunman's assassination plot on U Ko Ni is assessed to aim at destabilizing the nation according to initial investigation, said the President's Office.

U Ko Ni, legal advisor of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party and an advocate, was gunned down at the Yangon international Airport on Jan. 29 afternoon upon his arrival back from a senior leadership program in Indonesia's Jakarta.

He was shot in the head by a pistol at a close distance at the airport's taxi stand near arrival terminal-1.

The gunman also killed a taxi driver who had tried to capture him before he was arrested by the police and bystanders.

Myanmar police said the the gunman U Kyi Lin is not Mandalay resident although he was originally so identified.

Mandalay region police chief Han Tun said the authorities traced the address shown in the ID card which the gunman left when he was arrested, but found he was not actually residing at the address.

Meanwhile, Mandalay Region Security and Border Affairs Ministry further identified the gunman as an ex-prisoner from Mandalay prison who was sentenced to 27 years' jail term for stealing Buddha statue, but was once released in 2014 under amnesty order after serving for 11 years' term.

Myanmar Police Force has asked the public to provide information on anyone involved in Jan. 29's fatal shooting of U Ko Ni.

The police force claimed that they had arrested the gunman, U Kyi Lin, 52 and has charged him in accordance with the law.

The police force has announced its hot line numbers of 15 police stations for reporting information about the shooting.

In the aftermath of the incident, Myanmar's parliament has warned against parcel bomb, putting up the warning at the wall notice board of the parliamentary building and stressing more tightened measures for the security of the parliament members in wake of the current incident.

The President's Office requested the public not to be stricken by panic and to stay quietly and peacefully to be careful of religious an racial incitement.

The NLD has condemned the assassination of U Ko Ni , calling for prompt exposure of the masterminder behind the plot.

State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi denounced the assassination plot as a terrorist act that opposes the path of the NLD.

Chairman of Myanmar government-appointed Rakhine State Advisory Commission Kofi Annan was also shocked by the news about the recent assassination case of U Ko Ni.

In his announcement, Annan expressed regret over the incident, saying that he feels distaste on such terrorist acts committed on a person who was working for the rule of law. Enditem