YANGON — In a stunning and deeply controversial development, Myanmar’s military authorities have arrested 16 individuals — including a six-year-old girl — in connection with the assassination of a retired army general in Yangon last month, according to state-run media.
Cho Tun Aung, a former Myanmar ambassador to Cambodia and retired lieutenant general, was fatally shot outside his residence on May 22 in a high-profile attack claimed by an underground resistance group known as the “Golden Valley Warriors.” The group has emerged as one of several clandestine factions targeting military-linked figures since the 2021 coup that thrust the country into a spiraling civil conflict.
According to a report by The Global New Light of Myanmar, among those arrested were 13 men and three women. Notably, the detainees include the wife and young daughter of the primary suspect, Myo Ko Ko, who is accused of carrying out the assassination with an accomplice. Both men reportedly used bicycles to approach the general’s home before opening fire and fleeing to a safe house.
The report, however, did not specify what charges, if any, the six-year-old child faces — a detail that has sparked alarm among human rights advocates and opposition groups. The arrest has been widely condemned online, with critics accusing the junta of weaponizing justice in an attempt to crush dissent by targeting families of alleged insurgents.
Myanmar has been mired in conflict since its military seized power in a February 2021 coup, ousting the elected civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. The takeover ignited a nationwide uprising, which has since evolved into a multifront civil war involving ethnic militias, pro-democracy resistance fighters, and various armed groups like the Golden Valley Warriors.
While much of the combat has been centered in rural regions and border areas, Yangon — the country’s largest city and commercial nerve center — has seen a rise in urban guerrilla attacks. Assassinations, bombings, and ambushes targeting junta officials and collaborators have become increasingly common.
Despite suffering significant territorial losses in recent months, Myanmar’s military retains critical advantages, including control over the skies with Russian-supplied jets and continued material support from allies like China.
Analysts say the regime’s intensifying crackdown on urban dissent — including arrests of family members of alleged fighters — is a tactic designed to instill fear and deter further resistance. But critics warn such measures could backfire, hardening opposition resolve and deepening the country’s humanitarian crisis.
International human rights organizations have yet to comment officially on the arrest of the child, though calls for an independent investigation are mounting.
