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Grassroots-HRE
Kyaw Thein Kha
June 15, 2009

A Burmese girl was allegedly killed by a hotel assistant manager in a hotel near the Kawthaung township of Southern Burma on the 19th of April, 2009. The murderer threw the dead body into the sea.

Maung Yin Thway, the police, was on duty in the area at the time the crime happened. Aye Kyine, the police officer, and Maung Maung Lwin, assistant police officer, are conducting an investigation. However, the officials haven’t found out the truth yet. The family believes the murder was committed by the Assistant Manager at the hotel.

According to a friend close to the victim, 34 year old Than Maung, who was working as an assistant manager at Treasure Island Resort near Kawthaung township killed Ma Thandar Tin and cut her neck. The dead body was thrown into the sea. Ma Thandar, aged 19, was working as an accountant and a receptionist at the hotel. The case happened at about 1 am the 19th of April, according to the victim’s friend.

The suspect, Than Maung, fled to Ranong in southern Thailand, the other side of Kawthaung. The victim’s mother said that Than Maung talked to Ma Thandar Tin’s mother on the phone and confessed to the murder saying that Ma Thandar Tin spoke aggressively and that was the reason why he killed her.

A close friend to the victim’s family said, “Than Maung was a close friend to Daw Wai, the victim’s mother. He helped the victim to get a job at the hotel, and he proposed marriage to the victim. However, the victim refused Than Maung’s proposal as she wanted to continue her education. The victim had been admitted to study law this coming August in Myeik University of southern Burma. She came and worked at the hotel to cover her school expenses. She earned 50,000 Kyats (about US$50) per month.”

The hotel is situated on Yadana Kyun (Treasure Island) near Kawthaung township. The Singaporean and Thai business owners rented Yandana Kyun and built the Treasure Island Resort on it. The resort was opened in 2008. Over one hundred staff are working in different positions at the resort. There were 22 rooms in the hotel where the victim stayed.

Although it was known that the victim was killed on the 19th of April, the hotel informed her parents that she took a leave. Since the parents of the victims could not find their daughter, they went to the hotel where the victim was working. Then, the parents found out that their daughter was killed.

A friend of the victim’s mother said, “All the staffs were still there when the victim’s mother checked the room. Her earrings were dropped on the floor. Her mobile, watch and ID, all were left in the room. According to the clues, all knew that Thanda Tin had been killed because the mosquito net was also torn off with a knife and the blood could be seen under the net.”
According to another report, a human head that was stringed and a dead body was found near Ten Miles Village and the victim’s mother confirmed that the dead body was her daughter’s.

An anonymous police officer said, “The doctor and the senior police officer are going to check the dead body. The suspect fled to the other side of Kawthaung. We want to find out the truth, but we haven’t done anything about the crime yet. What is known is that Ma Thandar Tin was killed.”