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Myanmar villagers accuse junta troops of setting hundreds of homes on fire
Myanmar villagers and anti-coup fighters have accused troops of burning hundreds of homes in the country's restive northwest, as the junta seeks to crush resistance to its rule. Mass protests against last year's coup have been met with a brutal military crackdown, and violence has flared across Myanmar as civilians form "people's defense forces" (PDF) to oppose the junta. A woman from Bin village in the Sagaing region, which has seen recent clashes, said troops had arrived in the early hours of Monday. “They shelled artillery and fired guns before coming in,” she said on Friday, adding that the sound had sent villagers fleeing. Troops then set fire to around 200 houses, including her own, she said, requesting anonymity. “We could not bring anything with us. We took some warm clothes only, and then we just ran away.” Troops also torched houses in nearby Inn Ma Hte village after a local pro-junta militia was attacked by anti-coup fighters who then fled, according to one of the rebels. More at the link Related: Myanmar: 2022-02-02 The deadly battles that tipped Myanmar into civil war Myanmar: 2022-01-29 Bangladesh, Burmese Junta Initiate Rohingya Repatriation Talks Myanmar: 2022-01-29 Today’s Top Religious Persecutors: Open Doors Unveils Latest World Watch List Related: Sagaing: 2021-12-20 Tortured to death: Myanmar mass killings revealed Sagaing: 2012-11-30 Monywa, Burma: Copper Mine Protesters Burned Out in Police Raid Sagaing: 2010-10-14 Bangladesh hands over separatist leader to India Posted by: badanov 2022-02-06 |
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