Border town chieftain shot dead

U Win Maung, 50, Chairman of Panghsai Township Peace and Development Council, was shot by two men who made a surprise visit at 22:00 local time. His teenage son, wounded, managed to get away. No other details are available at the time of this writing.
 
The motive for the killing was not immediately established, although Win Maung had been in the township for several years since he was serving as deputy to U Tin Oo, whom he replaced last year.
 
He was well known for riding roughshod over  everybody including the ceasefire and pro-junta groups operating in the area. His last brush with the public was during last month when he organized a mocked referendum vote casting for local headmen ordering them and their villagers to put ticks in their ballot papers to show their support for the military drafted charter.
 
His killing last night coincided with the announcement by Burma’s military rulers that the referendum will be held on 10 May barely a month away. Copies of the draft constitution have also been made available to the public starting yesterday at K1,000 ($1) per copy.