Viral video shows armed youths beat elderly woman to death
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Htet Nadi(NP News)
A video is circulating on social media showing an elderly woman being beaten to death with sticks and thrown into the water by armed youths speaking Burmese and Kayin.
The minute-long footage captures an elderly woman, aged 70 to 80, sitting unresponsive before being fatally struck from behind with a stick, and her body is thrown into a river.
The location of the incident is not clear, but social media posts suggest it took place in the area of KNLA (Kayin National Liberation Army) Brigade 3, Regiment 9, under the Kayin National Union (KNU).
This video is old, and some social media users have claimed that the incident was an alleged murder that occurred in April 2025.
The KIC news reported that the KNU Nyaunglebin District Secretary said that an investigation will be conducted into the incident surrounding the video's spread.
Similarly, KNU officials said they will release a statement after investigating and confirming the video, according to KIC news agency.
Some social media posts claim that during the intense clashes in 2023 in KNU Brigade 3 territory, many local residents fled, but the elderly woman who was killed did not leave. Instead, she allegedly informed the Tatmadaw of the situation, which reportedly led to KNLA casualties. This is said to be the reason she was killed in retaliation.
The owner of the “Min Lwin” social media account posted that “The KNU armed men said that the elderly woman had been an informant for a long time. Among themselves, they later agreed not to upload the video file. The KNU and KNLA said they would investigate this incident — that’s a joke. They clearly know who did it, but they pretend not to know because they don’t want to take action. If they really wanted to arrest them, those people are living openly under their own administration to this day. According to their account, the elderly woman supposedly crossed the fast-flowing Sittaung River to give information to the Tatmadaw. To test that claim, try sending your own elders from Muu Township to the Sittaung River first, then have them cross the fast-flowing river, pass information to the Tatmadaw, and return to the village by crossing the river again. Before the clash, the KNU entered the village and drove everyone out. The village had both Kayin and Burmese residents, but this elderly woman was Burmese. They say she didn’t leave because she couldn’t — and stayed in the village. That’s what they said earlier. But to be honest, they simply wanted to drive out only the Burmese. During the clash, the elderly woman was still in the village. When the Tatmadaw crossed the Sittaung River and engaged in battle, they were forced to retreat. Later, when the Tatmadaw withdrew, they reentered the village, looked for a scapegoat, and claimed that a villager had acted as an informant. Since the elderly villagers remaining were Kayin, the only one left to accuse was the elderly Burmese woman. So they easily labeled her as a spy and beat her to death.”
On May 31, 2021, 47 workers (six women, 10 children, and 31 men) from the Uhu Chaung Bridge construction site between Kanaelay-Maw Khee Village, Wawlay Sub-Township, Myawaddy Township, Kayin State, were arrested by the KNDO, a KNU affiliate, on charges of espionage. Six men, 10 children, and six women were released on June 1 and 9, while the remaining 25 were killed.
The KNU then announced the temporary suspension of KNDO leader Saw Nal Dar Mya from his duties and an investigation into the killing of road workers in Wawlay Sub-Township, but no action was taken for almost a year.
Then, on July 19, 2022, Saw Nal Dar Mya announced the formation of the Kawthoolei army and his own reappointment as the commander-in-chief. The following day, the KNU Central Committee declared his dismissal for his involvement in the Phlu- Wawlay massacre, the killing of Tatmadaw personnel arrested at the Ukrithta camp in early June 2022, and for his failure to participate responsibly and responsibly as a leader in the preliminary, investigation, and final stages of the “Independent Investigation Committee.” –