BANGKOK – The mother of a Myanmar national who was killed in last Tuesday’s shooting spree at a shopping mall in Bangkok travelled from their home country to attend her daughter’s funeral.
The funeral of Ms Moe Mynt, 31, was held at Phasuk Maneechan Temple in Nonthaburi’s Pak Kret district.
Her mother Khin Win, 67, arrived at the temple with a cup of milk tea in her hand. Milk tea was her daughter’s favourite drink, and she placed it next to the coffin, asking her daughter’s spirit to enjoy the drink.
Ms Khin Win said she last spoke to her daughter on the phone last week, and knew of her death only two days ago.
Ms Moe Myint was an employee at a toy store in Siam Paragon, reported Thai daily Khaosod.
She had three gunshot wounds – one in her throat and two on the back – after a 14-year-old boy went on a shooting rampage in the luxury mall last Tuesday afternoon.
Her employer, Ms Aksorn Chantarojvanich, who attended the funeral, said she would provide Ms Moe Myint’s family with 10,000 baht (S$370) a month, matching the remittances she had sent home before her death.
Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong vowed at the ceremony: “We will ensure fair processes, provide support to the victims, and handle the affairs of the deceased’s family with utmost care.”
Myanmar Ambassador U Chit Swe also attended the funeral, placing his wreath next to that of Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.
The envoy offered his condolences to Ms Moe Mynt’s mother and told her that the embassy would cover the accommodation cost during her stay in Thailand.
Apart from Ms Moe Mynt, a Chinese tourist was also killed. Another Chinese tourist, a Lao national and three Thais were injured.
The body of Chinese national Zhao Jinnan, 34, who was killed in the shooting, will be sent to her home country soon, a source said on Saturday.
The victim’s family has made arrangements with the Chinese Embassy, which assigned an agency to deal with the transport of the body. The agency contacted the Police General Hospital’s Institute of Forensic Medicine last Friday to claim the body, according to a source who is familiar with the matter.
The family wanted the date of the body’s pick-up to be kept confidential, the source said.
Meanwhile, a large number of reporters gathered at the Institute of Forensic Medicine on Saturday morning following a rumour that the victim’s family would be claiming her body.
According to the source, bodies of foreigners can be kept at the Institute of Forensic Medicine for up to 30 days, although a longer period can be requested for cases like that of the Chinese shooting victim.
“This depends on the Prime Minister’s policy. But I think the family will not wait that long. They may pick up the body soon,” the source said. THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK, AFP
