The Home Minister told a media briefing on 25 February that youth who have ultra nationalist sentiment have killed a prominent Muslim lawyer U Ko Ni. U Ko Ni who as a legal adviser to the National League for Democracy (NLD) was killed in Yangon on 29 January. He was a leading advocate for constitutional reform. The Minister Lieutenant General Kyaw Swe however, denied that the assassins were linked to the ultra-nationalist group the Association for Protection of Race and Religion, which is more commonly known with its Myanmar acronym Ma Ba Tha. Responding to a question by a journalist from Myanmar Now news journal at the media briefing if the assassin were linked to Ma Ba Tha, the Minister said he did not believe monks would order for killing. At the media conference jointly held by the Home Ministry and the Office of the Chief of Police journalists were told that the police and military are jointly conducting the investigation into the killing of U Ko Ni and so far three people were arrested including Kyi Lin, Aung Win Zaw and Zeyar Phyo. However, a retired colonel Aung Win Khaing is still avoiding the arrest. Kyi Linn, who shot U Ko Ni, was arrested at the scene of murder on 29 January and a former captain Aung Win Zaw was arrested on the next day, said a media release from the government issued on 3 February. And Zeyar Phyo who is a former military intelligence officer was subsequently arrested. He has entered into monkhood on 3 January. A statement issued by the President Office on 15 February said a former Lieutenant Colonel is evading arrest and he is believe to be hiding near Nay Pyi Taw. The government officials told the media conference said the murder was planned during a conversation among the suspects at a tea shop about U Ko Ni and former Lieutenant Colonel Aung Win Khaing offer Kyat 100 million to those who kill the lawyer. Reference: 7 Days