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Slain legal advisor, taxi driver inspire Myanmar to keep striving towards goals: state counselor

Xinhua, February 27, 2017 Adjust font size:

Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi has honored slain legal advisor of the ruling party U Ko Ni and taxi driver U Nay Win, encouraging citizens to be brave by keeping in mind that they have martyr-like heroes and good citizens among the governing party.

At a memorial service in Yangon Sunday for U Ko Ni, the slain legal advisor of the National League for Democracy (NLD) and high court lawyer, and U Nay Win, the taxi driver who gave his life while trying to apprehend the assassin, Aung San Suu Kyi said the respected attorney's intellect and high ideals would be missed and the taxi driver's bravery would not be forgotten.

Suu Kyi said the two men represented the highest ideals of Myanmar society, describing U Ko Ni as belonging to the supportive group for legal affairs in the NLD to help for rule of law with firm belief and energy.

"Only if our country abounds with such persons like him will the practice of what we want to do within the framework of law be strengthened in our country," she added.

She also described U Nay Win as a hero who upheld the ideals of a decent society, saying that he acted bravely with the belief that heroism and selfless acts should not be neglected in a society where rule of law must be exercised.

U Ko Ni was gunned down at the Yangon international Airport on Jan. 29 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 a few days later when the driver had tried to apprehend him before he was arrested by the police and bystanders.

The police force had arrested and charged the gunman, U Kyi Lin, 52, for the killing. U Kyi Lin was identified as an ex-prisoner who was sentenced to 27 years' jail term for stealing Buddha statue, but was released in 2014 under amnesty order after serving for 11 years' term.

The police force had also arrested a second suspect and identified another two suspects as being involved in the assassination, behind which Minister of Home Affairs Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe said were personal antagonism and extreme nationalism. Enditem