Thai woman due in Myanmar court over death of US diplomat: police

A Thai woman arrested over the death of a US diplomat in Myanmar's largest city last month was due in court on Thursday, a police source told AFP.

The US diplomat was discovered at the Sakura Residence hotel and serviced apartment complex in Yangon on May 11 according to the source, speaking anonymously because he was not authorised to discuss the case.

The 43-year-old man was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital with head and neck lacerations, he added.

"A Thai woman who was found at his room at the Sakura Residence in Yangon was arrested," he said, reporting her first court appearance was due in Yangon's Kamayut Township court on Thursday.

Located in the upmarket Golden Valley, the mid-rise Sakura Residence is a short distance from the US embassy and popular with diplomats, United Nations staffers, aid workers and foreign business workers.

A US State Department spokesman confirmed the death of a "US government employee" assigned to the Yangon embassy, without providing further details of their identity.

"Out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones, we have no further information to provide at this time," the spokesman said.

The Thai embassy in Yangon did not respond to a request for comment, while a receptionist at the Sakura Residence said they were "not authorised to comment" and refused to share contact details of a manager.

Myanmar has been mired in civil war since the military deposed the elected government in a 2021 coup.

Since then, the country's court system has become largely opaque, with press access extremely limited.

AFP

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