Lily Naing Kyaw, a musician from Myanmar, passed away in a Yangon hospital a week after being shot in the head, reportedly by assailants of the military she supported.
Not only have celebrities who work with the pro-military media been startled by her death but also military supporters.
The 58-year-old was close to the senior junta figures that overthrew the government in 2021 and dragged the nation into war; she was also charged with serving as their informant.
Her murder is allegedly the work of two individuals who have been detained.
They are allegedly members of an anti-military urban guerrilla organization. Two of the men’s relatives were allegedly murdered in retaliation just hours after their detention.
The murder of Ms. Kyaw is the most recent in a string of high-profile victims who were supporters of the regime.
Tint Lwin, a well-known nationalist, and supporter of the military, was tragically shot in the head while at a tea shop in Yangon, the nation’s capital, four days prior to her attack. After surviving a gunshot last summer, he had been hiding.
Ms. Kyaw was attacked on May 30 early in the evening when she was parked in front of her home in Yankin Township, Yangon.
After a picture of her laying face down in her car was published on social media, initial reports claimed she had been slain. She was critically ill when she was rushed to the hospital and remained there till she passed away early on June 6th. Her death was verified by her family to the BBC.
It was referred to as the “inhumane shooting of an innocent woman” in a government statement. Statements denouncing the assassination were released by seventeen pro-junta organizations. An extreme nationalist Buddhist group called Ma Ba Tha sought increased protection.
Two individuals were detained and charged with the shooting, allegedly belonging to the Special Task Force, an armed opposition organization located in Yangon.
Kaung Zar Ni Hein, one of the males, was recognized from the CCTV footage. The second has been given the name Kyaw Thura. The military asserts that the accused have confessed while they are being held in detention pending trial.
The military has also claimed that the shooting was carried out by well-known student leader D Nyein Lynn.
The mother and cousin of Kaung Zar Ni Hein were tragically murdered at their house in Yangon on the same night that the guys were taken into custody. His younger sister and brother were able to flee; according to a pro-military station, security forces are “protecting them from gunmen”.
The report’s veracity and the identity of the attackers remain unknown. Nobody has made a claim for it.
Ms. Kyaw, who was raised in a military household, socialized with military leaders and was frequently seen at official gatherings. One of her songs has evolved into the unofficial anthem for Myanmar’s New Year’s water festival.
According to reports, Ms. Kyaw was singled out because she was a military informant. She is said to have recorded demonstrators in her neighborhood banging pots and pans as a kind of demonstration and given the tape to the army, which resulted in their detention. She has also covered the involvement of youth in revolutionary movements.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected National Democratic Party (NLD) was overthrown in a coup in February 2021, and Ms. Kyaw was selected to talk to CNN and the Southeast Asia Globe when they were in Myanmar.
She informed reporters that she had been demonized as a traitor and that posters had emerged on lampposts near her house accusing her of being a spy. She said that her house had suffered vandalism.
“I acknowledge the coup and support the military. The majority of the residents in my neighborhood, though, claim they want to murder me and support the NLD, the singer told reporters. These individuals “want to destroy the country.”
According to intimate sources of the victims, she was avoided by several popular personalities because she would inform the pro-military Telegram channel that celebrities were participating in anti-coup rallies so they might be detained.
Aung Naing San, a well-known singer, and advocate of democracy, had been involved in a protracted social media argument with Ms. Kyaw. Following his love for the image of her laying in her car, he was detained last week.
On June 1, he said on Facebook,
“Death is sad, but there is personal hurt and hatred, so I clicked satisfied.” In 2009, the once-close friends split up, and he had criticized Ms. Kyaw for endorsing the coup.
Following their social media responses, comments, or sharing of posts regarding Ms. Kyaw’s shooting, at least six more people have also been detained. Most of them faced charges under Section 505(a), a provision that makes spreading false information and inciting hatred against the military illegal.
Other pro-government celebrities in Myanmar are now afraid of speaking out about their support for the military because they believe they have no safety and that gunmen may show up at their door at any time. According to close insiders, they are advising one another to use social media responsibly and to maintain a low profile.
Paing Takhon, a model and actress who participated in the anti-coup rallies, is one performer caught in Myanmar’s political minefield and was given a three-year term in 2021.
He was granted an early release in exchange for working with the military, but after entertaining them at the water festival in April, he is now the target of a boycott.
Social media users made irate remarks beneath the Rent Boy teaser for his upcoming movie. Shame on you and “Paing Takhon is not Myanmar people’s hero anymore and he is collaborating with the brutal military junta now” were among the comments left by individuals who accused him of betraying them.
The actor told his 2.8 million followers that Myanmar was stagnating because of intergroup conflict in his response, but his message was quickly removed.
Rapper Yone Lay, often known as Little Bunny, was assaulted with a knife at a Yangon restaurant in April, but he managed to leave without getting hurt. He claimed on his social media pages that supporting the military was not the same as opposing non-military organizations.
“I detest extremes. I sincerely want everyone to live in harmony and peace,” he wrote in his message. He has been charged with being a military informant, much like Ms. Kyaw.
In the meanwhile, celebrities who criticize the administration have come under fire.
Byu Har, a rapper, was detained for “disrupting the peace” and “spreading propaganda” last month after he made fun of the junta’s ongoing power shortages.
The song Kabar Ma Kyay Buu—which translates to “We won’t be satisfied until the end of the world”—was written by his father, the well-known composer Naing Myanmar. It served as the anthem of Myanmar’s 1988 pro-democracy campaign and is being chanted at demonstrations against the 2021 coup.
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