DHAKA: Myanmar’s press council on Saturday said the army had admitted to shooting dead a man in its custody who activists claim was a reporter detained after covering clashes near the conflict-hit eastern border.

Aung Naing was gunned down as he tried to flee detention in Kyaikmaraw town in south-eastern Mon state on October 4, the interim Myanmar Press Council (MPC) said citing a rare statement issued by the military.

He ‘tried to escape by fighting with a soldier and attempting to steal his weapon’ said the document seen by media, adding that Aung Naing was suspected of being a member of a local armed group, reports The Straits Times.

This was contradicted by activists and local media reports which said he was a freelance journalist covering unrest in the region, where fighting between government troops and rebels has flared in recent weeks.

BDST: 1700 HRS, OCT 25, 2014