Hundreds flee after two villages set ablaze in Kyauktaw Twsp

By Hnin Nwe 04 Sep 2020

Hnin Nwe  | DMG
4 September, Kyauktaw 

Homes in Phayarpaung and Taungpauk villages in Arakan State’s Kyauktaw Township were set ablaze at about 9:30 p.m. on September 3, according to locals. 

A 100-strong military contingent reportedly encountered a landmine explosion at around 6 p.m. on September 3 while patrolling along a road near Phayarpaung village and a gunfight ensued for a few minutes thereafter, residents said. 

Tatmadaw troops began firing heavy weapons from a hill north of Phayarpaung village at about 9 p.m. and some homes in the village were subsequently burned down, according to a local who declined to be named for security reasons. 

“The fire broke out when the artillery shelling stopped. The fire engulfed almost all houses in Phayarpaung village and spread to Taungpauk village,” the unnamed source told DMG. 

Many residents of Phayarpaung village have fled to safer locations for fear of being arrested by the military, but some elderly people were trapped in the village, said Ma Mya Oo, one of the villagers. 

“The military battalion first entered the village, gathered residents and arrested some villagers. A few minutes later, security personnel told us, ‘You can go back now.’ They set fire to the village when we arrived back home,” she explained. “Many people fled to safer locations on the east bank of the Kissapanadi River but some senior citizens remained in the village.” 

Homes in Phayarpaung village went up in flames that could be seen as far away as Kyauktaw town some 3 miles from Phayarpaung, said Ko Tun Khin, a resident of Kyauktaw. 

“We saw that houses in Phayarpaung village were set on fire. We don’t know the reason why the houses were set ablaze. I couldn’t contact some people from the village and their mobile phones were powered off,” he said. 

The military has yet to issue any statement in response to the Phayarpaung allegations. Recently, Kyauktaw Township also saw civilian casualties elsewhere due to artillery shells allegedly fired by the military.