An entire village of 500 people has fled across the Myanmar – China border in fear of repercussions following the alleged murder of two soldiers in Nam-kham township, Shan State, said the State Hluttaw MP for the area.
U Sai Tin Oo (Shan State Hluttaw, Shan Nationalities Democratic Party, Nan-kham township) told Mizzima on July 31, that earlier that day, residents of the Naung-mar-tar village had crossed the border heading for the border village of Naung-taung, China.
U Sai Tin Oo said that on July 29, Captain Win Thura Tun and aunnamed Sergeant were found dead on the bank of the Shwe Lee River having both suffered gunshot wounds.
Sai Aung Win, administrator of the local township development association also speaking to Mizzima on July 31, said that the Tatmadaw had taken away five residents including the village administrator for interrogation.
“I was told that on July 29, they were cruelly beaten on the head and face and the next morning all the villagers had fled in fear of being beaten,” said Sai Aung Win.
Sai Aung Win said that Sai San Soe, one of the villagers who was interrogated, had told him that at 8pm the army came to take them away and at that time they threatened to burn down the village if the person responsible for the alleged murder could not be found.
Sai Aung Win added that after been released, Sai San Soe had fled to the other side of the border with his fellow villagers.
Representatives of the Shan Nationalities Democratic party told Mizzima on July 31 that they had reported the incident to the Shan State government and their local national MPs, requesting that the Nan-kham township administrator visit the now empty village.
Naung-mar-tor was once a centre for activity of the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army; until government troops re-occupied the area in May 2013. Shan Thansawsint, a local newspaper reports that government troops have been recently stationed there while members of the Ta’ang National Liberation Army and Kachin Independence Army are active in the area.
