Villagers claim that the Myanmar Junta has set fire to hundreds of houses

Myanmar junta troops set fire to 100s of buildings throughout a three-day raid in the nation’s north, according to local media and residents, as the military tries to crush opposition to its rule. Since the coup last year, the Sagaing area has seen fierce fighting and bloody retaliation, with local “People’s Defence Force” (PDF) member organizations clashing with junta troops.
According to analysts, the informal fighting force has surprised junta forces with its efficacy, and the army has called in air strikes on numerous occasions to support its troops on the ground.

According to locals and media reports, troops set fire to hundreds of buildings in the hamlets of Kinn, Upper Kinn, and Ke Taung over three days last week.

According to one Kinn resident who requested anonymity, on May 26, villagers fled as soldiers contacted and began shooting into the air.

“We saw smoke billowing from our village the next morning before they left.”

“Over 200 houses were destroyed… my house was completely destroyed, with only the tangible foundation remaining.”

Drone footage obtained by AFP purportedly showing the aftermath showed columns of smoke billowing into the sky from the villages, which were located along an eight-kilometer stretch of the Chindwin River.

A medical clinic seen in the video corresponded to one in Ke Taung village.

AFP digital verification journos confirmed that the footage had not previously appeared online, but they were unable to independently confirm reports from the region.

Soldiers “raided and destructed our houses,” said Aye Tin, a Ke Taung villager who requested anonymity.

“They also burned boats that we are using for transportation and food delivery in our village, including my boat.”

“My life is ruined because I lost my home… and I have nothing to do for a living.”
Last week, NASA satellite images showed fires in places that matched Ke Taung and Kinn villages.

The junta has previously denied claims that its troops set fire to houses, trying to accuse “terrorist” PDF fighters of doing so.

In a speech on Tuesday, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing stated that “every effort was made to minimise casualties as much as possible in performing counterattacks to terror acts.”

“The country is now at peace,” he said, according to Myanmar’s state newspaper, the Global New Light.