Over 300 civilians flee clashes intensify in Buthidaung Twsp

08 Oct 2020

Kyaw Myo Aung | DMG
8 October 2020, Buthidaung
 
More than 300 local residents have been displaced by fighting between the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army (AA) in Buthidaung Township this week.
 
The two sides clashed on Wednesday and Thursday on three hills between Khamichaung and Wundwin villages, about 1 mile from Pyinshae villages, forcing locals from the villages of Wundwin and Oaktaung to flee their homes.
 
Wundwin village has a population of over 100 people in 40 households, and Oaktaung village is made up of more than 70 households and over 200 residents.
 
“Shelling started at around 2 p.m. yesterday, and as the fighting became quite fierce around 4 p.m., villagers fled to Pyinshae, which is an ethnic Arakanese village,” Wundwin village resident U Tha Hla told DMG on Thursday.
 
There are two villages with the same name, Pyinshae, in the area, ethnic Arakanese people being the majority in one village, and Muslims in the other.  
 
Three military columns — one each from Light Infantry Battalion No. 564, Light Infantry Battalion No. 551 and Division 99 — reportedly carried out large-scale attacks on the three hills on Wednesday.
 
Residents of Oaktaung village began fleeing on Thursday.
 
“Clashes have begun to intensify. So, we have fled to [urban] Buthidaung,” said local villager U Thar Hmwe.
 
Arakan State lawmaker U Tun Aung Thein of Buthidaung Township said: “I heard that the fighting was fierce, and Wundwin and Oaktaung villagers have been fleeing along with their cattle.”
 
Clashes also reportedly took place near those hills on Monday, and two Muslim residents of Pyinshae village were killed and another was seriously injured in the fighting after the Myanmar military forced them to serve as guides in the area, villagers said.
 
The military’s Tatmadaw True News Information Team put the blame on the AA for civilian casualties.
 
On its Facebook page, the AA said the Tatmadaw abducted 15 Muslim villagers including children from the village and forced them to serve as porters. They were killed and injured as they were caught in crossfire, according to the AA.
 
Because the government has declared the AA to be a terrorist organisation, DMG was unable to contact the armed group for comment.