• Burmese
Saturday, September 30, 2023
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Irrawaddy
25 °c
Yangon
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Features
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Features
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
No Result
View All Result
The Irrawaddy
No Result
View All Result
Home News Burma

Regime Arson Attacks Ruin Lives but not Resistance Spirit in Upper Myanmar

by The Irrawaddy
June 17, 2022
in Burma, Factiva, News
Reading Time: 5 mins read
A A
Regime Arson Attacks Ruin Lives but not Resistance Spirit in Upper Myanmar

Ko Zin Moe’s house in Sagaing’s Min Tan Village before being torched (left) and after being torched (right)

3.5k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

This is the most stressful and difficult time for Daw Mya Mya Win, who have been hiding in the forest for three weeks since Myanmar regime soldiers torched her home during a raid on her village in late May.

The 49-year-old is a resident of Lat Chaik Village in Sagaing Region’s Mingin Township, a stronghold of the anti-coup armed resistance movement. Daw Mya Mya Win is one of many Sagaing villagers to lose everything after a junta raid.

RelatedPosts

Political Prisoners Need Medical Care: Sagaing Committee

Political Prisoners Need Medical Care: Sagaing Committee

September 30, 2023
200
Myanmar Travel Sector Mocks Junta Tourist Claim

Myanmar Travel Sector Mocks Junta Tourist Claim

September 30, 2023
1.2k
Junta Watch: ‘Happy Yet?’ Citizens Polled on 3 Years of Rule By Gun; Dictator Fetes Failed National Truce; and More   

Junta Watch: ‘Happy Yet?’ Citizens Polled on 3 Years of Rule By Gun; Dictator Fetes Failed National Truce; and More   

September 30, 2023
494

“No place to live right now and we are short of food. And I am not in good health,” said Daw Mya Mya Win, who suffers from kidney disease.

On May 21, regime forces raided her village on the banks of the Chindwin River, firing heavy weapons as they advanced. Daw Mya Mya Win was forced to flee her home along with her family.

Lat Yet Ma Village in Magwe after being torched by regime troops in May.

Soldiers traveling by motorboats from Hkamti Township destroyed the villages along the river. In the space of a month, they torched over 600 houses in 10 villages in Mingin Township. In Daw Mya Mya Win’s village of Lat Chaik, 61 out of 285 houses were burned down, including hers.

Daw Mya Mya Win recalled how she, her husband and three sons had financed the building of their home by performing general labor in the village, as their family doesn’t own farmland like some others. They started to build their two-storey house three years ago in typical upper Myanmar style: using brick for the ground floor and wood for upstairs.

There was just a little more work to be completed on the ground floor, before the Myanmar military soldiers reduced everything to ashes on May 21.

“There is nothing now. We have nothing left except two boxes of clothes. We have to rely on donors for our daily meal,” Daw Mya Mya Win said.

Junta razes the villages

Today in upper Myanmar there are tens of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDP) like Daw Mya Mya Win and her family who have lost everything: homes, vehicles, crops, animals and livelihoods.

Over a year on from the February 2021 coup, an armed resistance movement has sprung up across the country. But it is in Sagaing and Magwe regions and Chin, Kayah and Karen states that anti-junta resistance is most fierce.

In an attempt to wipe out local support for the resistance groups, regime forces are operating a scorched earth policy of torching villages.

On June 3, Data for Myanmar, an independent group monitoring junta atrocities, reported that an estimated 18,886 houses and buildings have been burned down in regime arson attacks since the coup and up to the end of May. Sagaing has suffered the most, losing an estimated 13,840 houses.

Since late April, junta forces have been targeting Sagaing and Magwe regions in a massive offensive.

In May alone, over 6,000 houses in Sagaing were torched, including Ko Zin Moe’s house in Min Tan Village in Myaung Township.

Lat Yet Ma Village in Magwe after being torched by regime troops in May.

His ancestors had lived in the hardwood house, which was destroyed on the night of May 21. Ko Zin Moe, his parents, relatives and other villagers watched with eyes full of tears as the flames swallowed up their home.

“My mum and my aunts cried as they can’t replace the photos of their grandparents or the furniture which was passed down to them,” said Ko Zin Moe.

Some 158 houses out of 500 in Min Tan Village were burned down, causing nearly 2 billion kyats (US$1 million) in losses, according to the Civilians Defense and Security Organization (Myaung). The village pagoda and other religious buildings were among those torched.

“I was very angry and could not express my feelings at that time,” recalled Ko Zin Moe. His mother said it will be impossible to rebuild another similar house for the family.

Currently, thousands of locals are still hiding in the forest but some have returned to their villages and are living in temporary shelters roofed with palm leaves.

Lun Eain Thit, a poet from Lat Yet Ma Village in Magwe Region’s Myaing Township, built a shelter out of palms for his family after his two-storey house was torched by the regime on May 14.

After Sagaing, Magwe is the region most affected by the junta’s arson attacks. Data for Myanmar reported that 3,055 houses and buildings in Magwe have been burned down by the regime since the coup.

Lat Yet Ma is a large village with nearly 2,500 houses and is a commercial center in Myaing Township, with 15 other nearby villages relying on it. Located in the northern part of Myaing, it borders Kani and Pale townships in Sagaing, both strongholds of the resistance movement. Lat Yet Ma, too, has become famous for its strong anti-coup movement.

It was for that reason that regime troops raided the village on May 14 and spent two days torching it. 615 homes were burned down, causing losses of nearly 10 billion kyats (US$5.4 million), according to residents.

“The only thing left unburned was a refrigerator but it was useless as it was shot full of bullet holes,” said Lun Eain Thit of his home.

Junta troops chose to torch only well-built houses, as well as grocery stores and rice warehouses. The village hospital and religious buildings were also destroyed.

Moreover, five Lat Yet Ma villagers were killed during the raid.

NUG tries to protect the people

U Yee Mon, the National Unity Government’s (NUG) defense minister, said the military regime burns down villages in order to dismantle the revolution and divide the public from the revolutionary forces. He admitted that the villages have not been adequately protected by the NUG’s defense ministry.

The remains of a Buddhist temple in Sagaing’s Min Tan Village after the regime’s raid in May.

“Now we are reviewing it. Especially, we are discussing with those in the No 1 Command [which includes Sagaing and Magwe regions]. We are trying our best to find the best way to protect our people,” said U Yee Mon.

Ethnic people in Chin, Kachin, Karen and Kayah states have been experiencing the junta’s atrocities for decades. And from 2017-2018, over 700,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh because of the Myanmar military’s clearance operations in Rakhine State. Those Rohingya refugees recalled extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and arson attacks on their properties.

Currently, there are over one million IDPs in Myanmar, while 14.4 million people, around a quarter of the country’s population, urgently require humanitarian assistance, said Noeleen Heyzer, the United Nations (UN) Special Envoy for Myanmar, during her briefing on the Myanmar crisis at the UN general assembly on Monday.

“Civilian buildings and villages have been destroyed by fire and internally displaced populations have been attacked,” she said.

The junta is using violence against the people to maintain their power, said a spokesperson for the Taung Dwin People’s Defense Force (PDF) in Sagaing’s Mingin Township.

“We PDFs are designated as terrorist groups by the military. In fact, they are the terrorists. They are using violence against the people” he said.

Torching houses can’t stop the revolution

Right now, the villagers who have lost their homes are angry at the regime and are preparing to intensify the revolution.

“We hate military dogs. We had to struggle very much to build our houses,’ said a villager from Magwe’s Gangaw Township.

Sagaing’s Min Tan Village after the junta’s arson attack in May.

Poet Lun Eain Thit, who is also a member of a PDF, said the regime is under pressure as they are taking many casualties.

“Therefore, they burned down civilian houses. But the more they pressure the people, the stronger the revolution will be,” he added.

Local support for PDFs will never stop, despite the regime torching villagers’ houses, said Ko Zin Moe.

He is currently volunteering as a teacher at a community school in Myaung Township under NUG administration. His mother and his relatives also provide as much food as they can for resistance groups.

Ko Zin Moe said they can endure the current situation and will continue to support the revolution until the end.

“I always remember the words my mother says when she encourages other people. She said that regime troops can destroy our property and burn down our houses. However, they can never burn down our spirit [to end military dictatorship].”

You may also like these stories:

Junta Chief to Preside Over Myanmar’s First Grand Military Review in Seven Years

Resistance Fighters and KIA Clash With Junta Forces in Northern Myanmar

Myanmar Junta Raises SIM and Internet Taxes to Silence Opposition

Your Thoughts …
Tags: CoupIDPInternally Displaced PersonsjuntaMagwe Regionmilitary regimeMingin TownshipMyaing TownshipMyanmar MilitaryMyaung TownshipNational Unity GovernmentNUGPDFPeople’s Defense ForcesSagaing and Magwe IDPsSagaing RegionUNUnited Nations
Previous Post

Indian Border Government Issues ID Cards to Myanmar Refugees

Next Post

Around 90 Myanmar Junta Troops Killed in Five Days: Resistance

The Irrawaddy

The Irrawaddy

...

Similar Picks:

Myanmar Junta’s Central Bank Had $6.8 Bn in Reserves at 14 Int’l Banks in March

Myanmar Junta’s Central Bank Had $6.8 Bn in Reserves at 14 Int’l Banks in March

August 21, 2023
13.2k
Myanmar Resistance’s Next Steps are Clear; It’s the Junta’s that Aren’t

Myanmar Resistance’s Next Steps are Clear; It’s the Junta’s that Aren’t

August 8, 2023
10.6k
Cash-Starved Junta Milks Myanmar Migrant Workers With New Remittance Rule

Cash-Starved Junta Milks Myanmar Migrant Workers With New Remittance Rule

September 12, 2023
9.2k
Singapore Called On to Stop Feeding Myanmar Junta’s War Machine

Singapore Called On to Stop Feeding Myanmar Junta’s War Machine

August 24, 2023
8.3k
Two Myanmar Junta Pilots Killed When Kayah Resistance Shot Down Fighter Jet

Two Myanmar Junta Pilots Killed When Kayah Resistance Shot Down Fighter Jet

July 29, 2023
6.3k
TNLA: Attacks on Myanmar Junta in Mandalay Rising

TNLA: Attacks on Myanmar Junta in Mandalay Rising

September 19, 2023
6.1k
Load More
Next Post
Around 90 Myanmar Junta Troops Killed in Five Days: Resistance

Around 90 Myanmar Junta Troops Killed in Five Days: Resistance

Myanmar’s Democracy Activists on Death Row Must Be Allowed to Live

Myanmar’s Democracy Activists on Death Row Must Be Allowed to Live

No Result
View All Result

Recommended

Notorious Deputy Commerce Minister Purged in Myanmar Junta Price Probe 

Notorious Deputy Commerce Minister Purged in Myanmar Junta Price Probe 

6 days ago
1.7k
Myanmar Junta Slaps Struggling Farmers with Price Controls

Myanmar Junta Slaps Struggling Farmers with Price Controls

6 days ago
1.5k

Most Read

  • Another Junta Flotilla in Upper Myanmar is Under Fire

    Another Junta Flotilla in Upper Myanmar is Under Fire

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Travel Sector Mocks Junta Tourist Claim

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The Junta is Losing Control of Southeastern Myanmar: Report

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar’s Military Bogged Down in North as Resistance Rises

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Junta Minister Discusses Train Lines to China

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get The Irrawaddy’s latest news, analyses and opinion pieces on Myanmar in your inbox.

Subscribe here for daily updates.

Contents

  • News
  • Politics
  • War Against the Junta
  • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
  • Conflicts In Numbers
  • Junta Crony
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Asia
  • World
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Election 2020
  • Elections in History
  • Cartoons
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Commentary
  • Guest Column
  • Analysis
  • Letters
  • In Person
  • Interview
  • Profile
  • Dateline
  • Specials
  • Myanmar Diary
  • Women & Gender
  • Places in History
  • On This Day
  • From the Archive
  • Myanmar & COVID-19
  • Intelligence
  • Myanmar-China Watch
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion & Design
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Photo Essay
  • Donation

About The Irrawaddy

Founded in 1993 by a group of Myanmar journalists living in exile in Thailand, The Irrawaddy is a leading source of reliable news, information, and analysis on Burma/Myanmar and the Southeast Asian region. From its inception, The Irrawaddy has been an independent news media group, unaffiliated with any political party, organization or government. We believe that media must be free and independent and we strive to preserve press freedom.

  • Copyright
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Team
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Burmese

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Letters
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Features
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Business Roundup
  • Donation

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.