Myanmar junta troops burned donations of rice, other food and tarpaulins intended for more than 2,000 internally displaced people from Kin Ma village in Magwe Region, which was burned down by regime forces, and have planted landmines in the area.
In mid-June, almost the entire 240-house village in southern Pauk Township was burned down by junta troops after they suffered heavy casualties during a firefight with civilian resistance fighters near the village.
On Tuesday morning, more than 130 junta soldiers used artillery and raided Kin Ma. More than 2,000 villagers fled to forests.
Before leaving the village monastery on Wednesday morning, junta troops burned the monastery’s possessions and 34 rice bags, other food and tarpaulins donated for the homeless villagers, according to residents.
The troops also destroyed two bags of rice with battery acid.
Kin Ma villagers said an unidentified, charred body was found under a burned motorbike near the monastery.
Villagers said the body is believed to be one of two residents who was seized by troops while heading to Kin Ma.
Two landmines, allegedly laid by regime soldiers, were found in the village. Villagers fear returning because they suspect more explosives will be hidden, a young Kin Ma villager told The Irrawaddy on Thursday.
“The junta’s atrocities are unacceptable. We will be pleased when the whole dictatorship disappears,” a villager said.
On Thursday morning, around 60 junta troops deployed at Wun Chone village’s monastery near Kin Ma on Tuesday burned fleeing villagers’ possessions, according to residents.
Last week, hundreds of junta troops in two detachments raided around 30 villages and scoured forests for civilian resistance fighters in southern Pauk Township while heading to Wun Chone and Kin Ma.
More than 30,000 villagers fled into forests to avoid the raids. Around 11 junta troops were killed by resistance landmines on August 27 and 29, according to the People’s Defense Forces in Pauk.
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