By Bala | MPA
Demoso, Myanmar — A brutal, unsolved murder of a woman in the newly reorganized township of Dee Baw Khu has left the local community in a state of high alert, with residents urging the interim police force to apprehend the perpetrator.
The body of the victim, identified as 45-year-old Daw Paing, was discovered in a forest within the Daw Rauk Khu village tract late Tuesday (January 13).
According to family members, Daw Paing had gone out to herd cattle but failed to return at her usual time. After a frantic search, relatives found her lifeless body in the woods.
“She didn’t come home by dusk, which was unlike her,” a family member told MPA. “When we finally found her, she had been slashed across the throat and had two deep stab wounds near her abdomen.”
MPA has learned that the window of the crime was narrow; the victim had spoken to her mother by phone just 15 minutes before contact was lost and she disappeared.
The savagery of the killing has sent shockwaves through the area, located in the western part of Demoso Township. Residents report that the fear is so pervasive that even men are currently afraid to travel alone.
“This wasn’t just a stabbing; the throat was slit, suggesting a ruthless or skilled killer,” said a local resident. “Since the victim was a quiet woman with no known enemies, we suspect this could be the work of drug users, as methamphetamine (WY) abuse is an issue in the area.”
The victim’s family has filed a case with the Karenni State Police, the law enforcement arm operating under the resistance administration.
However, the family noted delays in the initial response, stating that authorities did not retrieve the body until past midnight.
Dee Baw Khu is a township recently reorganized under the Interim Executive Council (IEC) of Karenni State.
The victim’s family and local residents are calling on the new authorities to effectively handle the investigation and restore a sense of security to the region.
