Myanmar Army Set Fire Hundreds of Houses in Rakhine State and Injured 3 Rohingya and 3 Rakhine Villagers While Threatening With the Said 480 Covid-19 Infected in Western Myanmar

Myanmar army set fire Para Boung village in Kyauktaw township on September 3.

AN. September 4, 2020

Myanmar army burned down two villages and over 200 houses in Kyauktaw township between 8 and 10 pm last night.

Fleeing villagers from Phara Poung village, about two miles away from Kyauktaw town, reported 100 Myanmar soldiers searched and arrested entire villagers in Parabong and Taung Pauk villages yesterday evening and then burn down entire village.

They said, “The soldiers let them go home about 7 o’clock from interrogation in the evening and then torched down some houses from the north of the village. The flame jumped one after another and all houses were burned down.”

“About 30 and disable men and women are trapped inside the village. I don’t know they were killed or alive in the flame,” said Ma Tin Aye Nu* from Parabong g village.

She said she and her family crossed the river and fleeing to eastern side of Kalandan river.

“I saw the flames are spreading to neighboring Kyauk Ta Lone village,” she said.

The fleeing villager told local news Myanmar soldiers burned down Kyauk Ta Lone village as well.

Myanmar army had shot and killed U Sein Thar Aung, 40, and the resident of Kyauk Ta Lone village on July 31 and arrested 10 more villagers.

The army burned the village last night.

Locally people initially reported 2 elder women were killed in the flame and 2 young wen were shot death in Paraboung village. 

Han Maung Thein,35, and Maung Nynt,27,were shot and killed by Myanmar soldiers. 

They said some boats were sinking in the middle of river while the soldiers firing machine guns and shelling artillery to the fleeing boats. They said they heard children were crying for helps in the dark night. They thought some people might be killed in the river.

Local news also reported the soldiers shot and shelled to the fleeing villagers in the fields and river last night. They said some villagers must be killed and injured in the dark night, but the civilian casualty toll is not yet known.

Myanmar army has burned down Tin Ma, Malar,  andThat Yit Pyin village in Kyauktaw township in summer. Lakkar village and Pha Pyo villages in Mrauk U and Minbya townships were set fired by the army.

Ministry of Health and Sports announce 480 Rakhine people have been infected with Covid-19 in many townships since August 16.

Rakhine State government responded the fastest outbreak with imposing curfew laws in 15 townships for three months, staring from September 2 to November 1.

Local people dismayed the curfew law and said it is nothing to do with the virus and the night curfew but to contain the Rakhine people when the military is shooting and shelling civilians and burning houses in Rakhine State.

Myanmar navy fired machine guns and artillery shells into Gup Pi Htung and Than Kanet villages in Kyauktaw township at mid night and injured 6 civilians on September 2.

Three Rohingya villagers, Ma Ah Bu Che, 8, Daw Mara Kan, 38, and U Rara Mud, 48, were injured by the shells landing in Gup Pi Htaung village.

U Soe Thar Aung, 67, and U Maung Pru, 63 and his wife Daw Sein Kyew Thein, were critically wounded by the Myanmar navy shells landing inside their resident. They were taken to Kyauktaw hospital.

Town residents also reported the navy shelled to a quarantine center in Kyauktaw, and the coronavirus infected patients and watch-out patients from the center had to flee on September 2.

The authority who was helping the quarantine center said he and his colleagues were recollecting the ran-way Covid-19 patients. Local people worry the virus must be spreading from the fleeing patients in the community.

Myanmar army has killed 4 villagers and injured 18 civilians since the virus outbreak began in Rakhine State on August 16.

Arakan Army Commander Tun Myant Naing said on his live video the Covid-19 outbreak in Rakhine State may have political and military aims. He said Myanmar army is bringing more troops to Rakhine State and increasing offensive operations.

Local news reported Myanmar army and Arakan army were fighting near Ramaung bride in Minbya township yesterday.

Local CSOs and international community have been calling all conflicting parties to halt the military hostility in Rakhine State during the threat of Covid-19 pandemic.

Myanmar army’s spokesperson Gen. Zaw Min Tun told the press yesterday the military is conducting counter terrorist operation and whoever villagers get arrested or (injured) are those people who have in touch with Arakan Army.

Former UN rights Rapporteur Miss Yanghee Lee called fresh investigations into the Myanmar army for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Amnesty International also called on UN Security to refer Myanmar army to ICC for randomly aerial bombing and killing civilians in Rakhine and Chin States.

*Village woman name is changed for her security reason.