More than 4,000 residents from seven villages in Myanmar’s war-torn Sagaing region have fled their homes since Oct. 8, as junta troops entered Mingin township, according to aid workers.
When the military column entered Ba Yon Kar village last Saturday troops burned down 34 of the village’s 160 homes forcing villagers to seek shelter nearby.
Since then, residents from villages, including Khon Thar, Au, Chaung Wa and Shar Taw, on the banks of the Chindwin river, have also been forced to flee, an aid worker told RFA.
“After the burning of Ba Yon Kar village, the junta troops did not continue to torch the other villages but locals still had to flee and stay in the forest.” the aid worker said.
“Since their villages are by the river, they had to leave them because junta boats were coming up the river toward their villages.”
The aid worker said troops still continued to enter Khon Thar village and Au village on Tuesday.
The same day, the Mingin People’s Defense Force (PDF) Battalion (2) attacked 12 junta vessels, it said in a statement released on Wednesday.
In response around 100 junta soldiers and affiliated Pyu Saw Htee militia members attacked a local PDF camp with two warships, forcing the PDF to abandon the camp, Battalion (2) said in its statement.
RFA has not been able to independently confirm claims that junta forces burned homes in Ba Yon Kar.
In June, when RFA contacted State Administration Council (SAC) spokesman, Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, about the burning of houses, he said the SAC does not carry out such acts.
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