Security Forces Arrest Members of So-called Royal Phoenix Guerilla Force –RPGF, Perpetrators of Terror Acts and Murders of Innocent Civilians under Accusation of Being Informers/Dalans in Mandalay City and Sagaing Township with Weapons/Ammunitions

Ministry of Defense/ Naypyitaw / May 24, 2023

The security force members exerted efforts round the clock to arrest the perpetrators of terror acts and murders of innocent civilians. In this regard, according to the information secretly tip-offed by conscientious people, security personnel managed to arrest offender Chan Myae Oo (aka) Breakie (aka) Kaukkyi, second leader of so-called Royal Phoenix Guerilla Force –RPGF terrorist group at room no. (205) of ‘Taw Win Oo’ guesthouse in Kanthayar ward of Chanmyatharzi township of Mandalay region on 6 April 2023.

According to the confession of the arrested offender Chan Myae Oo (aka) Breakie (aka) Kaukkyi,

· Other related offenders, Saw Ba Nyein (aka) Pyi Nyein Chan (aka) Ko Saw (aka) Ko Pyae, the leader of so-called RPGF terrorist group on 18 May and other RPGF members of Zaw Htet and Hein Htet, and other related offenders of Zaw Ye Htet (aka) Thar Thar, Aung Min Tun (aka) Otto and Min Min Oo (aka) Thet Oo Maung were arrested on the same day.

· According to the confession of the arrested offender Saw Ba Nyein, other related offenders: Win Mar with five pull-string grenades; Thura Soe (aka) Kyauk Yoke; as well as Khaing Khaing Aung, Yan Naung Phyo, Thu Zar Wai and Aung Ye Kyaw who are providing financial assistance to the perpetrators were further arrested on 18 May.

· To sum up, 13 offenders in total including 10 males and 3 females were arrested together with five Chinese-made pull-string grenades.

According to the confession of the arrested offender –

· Saw Ba Nyein, Chan Myae Oo, Min Min Oo, Zaw Htet and Zaw Ye Htet attended explosive training course at KIA Brigade no. (4) in Namatu township of Shan state (north) for a month in March 2022.

· In April 2022, they moved back to Mandalay and the offender Chan Myae Oo joined the ZOOM meeting led by absconder Ye Mon from CRPH/NUG. Then, under the instruction of the absconder Ye Mon, the offenders Saw Ba Nyein and Chan Myae Oo led and organized a terrorist grop so-called Royal Phoenix Guerilla Force –RPGF with 16 members in total including Zaw Htet, Hein Htet, Zaw Ye Htet, Aung Tun Min, Min Min Oo, Thura Soe, and other offenders to be arrested: Hein Myat Min, David, Gaunggyi, Belu, Pauk Kyaw, Kyaw Gyi, Tun Tun and Mae Gyi in April 2022. The group was organized with the aims of carrying out acts of terrorism and killing innocent civilians under accusation of being Dalan in Mandalay city and Sagaing township.

· Absconder Ye Mon from CRPH/NUG delivered two pistols and 50 rounds of its bullet to offender Pauk Kyaw in February 2023.

· Moreover, in order to purchase explosives, Yan Naung Phyo contributed K500,000, Aung Ye Kyaw K1,000,000 Khaing Khaing Aung K1,000,000 and Thuzar Wai K2,000,000 and other food items respectively to the RPGF terrorist group.

According to the instructions of so-called RPFG leader Saw Ba Nyein, the group committed two assassinations of innocent civilians under the accusation of being informer/dalan as follows –

· Arrested offenders Zaw Htet, Zaw Ye Htet, Aung Tun Min and other offenders to be arrested Pauk Kyaw, Hein Myat Min and David shot pistol at innocent civilian U Kyaw Soe to death on 20 April 2023.

· Offenders Zaw Htet, Zaw Ye Htet, Aung Tun Min and other offenders to be arrested Pauk Kyaw and Tun Tun led by Saw Ba Nyein assassinated an innocent civilian U San Yu Maung, son of Pathein Gyi township administrator by firing rounds of pistols at him on 27 April 2023. During the incident, offender Thura Soe performed as an observer.

According to the confession of the arrested offenders, RPGF committed nine remote-mine and IED attacks in Mandalay city and Sagaing township –

· On 16 April 2022, arrested offenders Saw Ba Nyein, Chan Myae Oo and Pauk Kyaw (to be arrested) threw an IED in front of “Space Bar” restaurant located between 36^th and 37^th roads of Mahar Aungmyay township and the explosion injured an innocent civilian.

· Arrested offenders Saw Ba Nyein, Chan Myae Oo and offender Mae Gyi (to be arrested) threw an IED in front of region high court in Chanmyathazi township on 22 May and in front of ‘Jin Cheng’ hotel on 29 May.

· On 10 January 2023, arrested offenders Saw Ba Nyein, Chan Myae Oo and Pauk Kyaw (to be arrested) blew up an IED in front of Pahtodawgyi pagoda located in Hmantan ward of Amarapura township.

· On 10 February 2023, arrested offenders Saw Ba Nyein, Chan Myae Oo and Kyaw Gyi (to be arrested) blew up an IED targeting at the security-outpost in Chanmyathazi township injuring one security personnel and two unarmed civilians.

· On 17 and 21 February 2023, arrested offenders Saw Ba Nyein, Chan Myae Oo and Kyaw Gyi (to be arrested) blew up IEDs targeting the administrator offices of Chanayethazan and Mahar Aungmyay township.

· On 22 March 2023, arrested offenders Saw Ba Nyein, Chan Myae Oo and Kyaw Gyi (to be arrested) blew up an IED targeting the district court killing one security personnel and injuring one another.

· On 11 April 2023, arrested offenders Chan Myae Oo, Zaw Ye Htet, Aung Min Tun and Kyaw Gyi and Hein Myat Min (to be arrested) blew up an IED targeting the electricity power substation in Sagaing township.

The so-called RPGF terrorist group had planned to assassinate two innocent civilians and carry out IED attacks on motor-vehicle police office in Chanayetharzan township in June 2023. However, security forces managed to find out their ill attempts and prevent them by using the information advantages.

It is reported that harsh legal actions will be taken against the arrested offenders and entire population is requested to participate in the measures to collectively combat against those who are committing acts of terrorism and to arrest remaining related perpetrators as soon as possible.

Source: Myawady Daily Newspaper (22-5-2023)