One woman had a gunshot wound to her thigh as the Tatmadaw fired on March 19 afternoon in Pan Myaung village of Minbya Township and she is now in hospital according to village administrator U Tin Aung Kyaw.

Daw Than Than Win hit by a shell while she was running to a bomb shelter to take cover from the Tatmadaw’s shooting into the village, U Tin Aung Kyaw said.

“She was shot in the thigh while the Tatmadaw entered and started shooting in the afternoon around 1 PM. She could come out from the bomb shelter 3 hours after she had received the injury. We sent her to Pan Myaung hospital, then transferred her to Mrauk-U hospital,” he said.

The Tatmadaw forced villagers to sit under the sun and beat them after questioning them about the AA members, villagers said.

“They (Tatmadaw) entered our village and asked where AA members were. When we said there were no AA members, they forced us to take off our shirts. They beat villagers but I was not beaten,” Ko Zaw Thein Win from Pan Myaung village said.

The Tatmadaw later released detained villagers but four villagers were taken for detention, a local resident said.

The DMG asked Colonel Win Zaw Oo from the Western Command on Tuesday about the arrest of villagers, he replied: “We are still trying to confirm it. I cannot reveal too many details because some information is classified under army rules. They were under questioning.” His phone was found off when trying to reach him yesterday.

Fearful of the Tatmadaw’s questioning and air strikes to Pan Myaung hills, villagers fled to Shweboung village in Nagara village tract.

The number displaced people are about 1500 and they are facing difficulty for shelter though they currently do not need to worry about food, administrator for Nagara village said.

Photo_Okw Mrauku