Tatmadaw and AA exchange accusations about Minbya Pan Myaung’s incident

By Khaing Roe La 25 Aug 2019

Khaing Roe La | DMG
25 August, Minbya
 
An artillery shell landed on a house in Pan Myaung village, Minbya Township, on Saturday, killing three people and seriously injuring another four.
 
While family members were having breakfast in their house at about 10 a.m, an artillery shell landed on the house, killing Ma Nyo Nyo Win, 16, Maung Min Htet Kyaw, 9, and Maung Aung Kyaw Phyo, 6.
 
Daw Oo Kyaing, 60, and Daw Aye Shwe Hla, 64, Daw Cho Cho the mother of Maung Min Htet Kyaw were taken to Mrauk-U hospital while Ma Phyu Hnin Soe, 25, was taken to Sittwe hospital because she received severe injuries, aid workers said.
 
“Three of them can be given medical treatment in Mrauk-U hospital. So, doctors from the hospital accepted them,” said Ko Myo Khaing, secretary of Mrauk-U Charitable Organization.
 
The artillery shell landed in the village while the Tatmadaw troop from Aung Mingala hill near Pan Myaung village provided gunfire support for the Tatmadaw troop fighting at Mt. Taung Phyu, villagers said.
 
“The hill is located in the middle of the village. We don’t know why the shell landed on the house,” said a local resident from Pan Myaung village, who asked not to be named.
 
Colonel Win Zaw Oo, head of the Western Command, however, denied that villagers were killed by an artillery shell the Tatmadaw fired. He accused the AA for the casualties when the AA fired back the Tatmadaw.
 
“The AA members are at the mountain range east of Pan Myaung village. They shot artillery at Tatmadaw troops positioned in Pan Myaung village. A shell landed between two houses. I heard that three people were killed and three others were injured,” Colonel Win Zaw Oo told the DMG.
 
The AA’s spokesperson Khaing Thukha said that there was no clash near Pan Myaung village and it was a one-sided accusation.
 
“The Tatmadaw always accuses the AA whenever gunfire hits villagers. They fabricated the story to hide their war crimes. Villagers know well whose gunfire hit people,” Khaing Thukha said.
 
Pan Myaung villagers said that there was no exchange fire between the Tatmadaw and the AA near the village on Saturday morning.
 
The number of patients who received injuries arrived at Sittwe township hospital has reached over 50 and six of them were sent to Yangon hospital due to the severity of injuries, according to the figures of aid groups.

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