YANGON - Myanmar's press council says the army shot dead a freelance journalist who was detained while covering clashes between ethnic rebels and government troops along the country's rugged border.
The council on Friday released a military statement saying Aung Naing was arrested on Sept 30 in Mon state and that he was shot dead on Oct 4, allegedly while while reaching for a soldier's weapon during an attempted escape.
It was not clear why the information was only now released. The interim press council was formed under the aegis of the president and asked the military for information last week.
The military alleged that an interrogation revealed the freelancer was an information officer with the rank of captain in an ethnic armed Karen group.
It said his body had been properly buried near a village.