On April 19th, the home of Ma Kyein Dunt Keim, an activist who was arrested by the Military Council during the Revolutionary Thingyan strike campaign on the final day of Myanmar's traditional New Year Water Festival in Kale Township, Sagaing Division, was bulldozed. The Military Council had sealed off the residences of the four individuals arrested that day, and her home was bulldozed in the afternoon, locals said.
On April 19th, at approximately 3:00 PM, a group of roughly 30 Military Council forces arrived at the residence of Ma Kyein Dunt Keim in Taung Phila Ward, located in Kale Township. The Military Council forces arrived in a black Pajero SUV, 2 light military vehicles, 1 military truck, and 1 JCB type bulldozer, and proceeded to demolish the house, according to a witness.
"The house that was demolished was a two-story brick structure. Once the Military Council forces had finished tearing it down, there was almost nothing left that could be salvaged. However, I did manage to find a section of the kitchen side that was several feet long and still undamaged. The Military Council forces did not allow any of the household items to be moved before they carried out the demolition. Once they were done, they simply turned around and left”, he said.
At this time, it is unclear whether the residences of the three other arrestees have been subjected to demolition.
On April 16th, around 2:00 PM, members of Kale Township's main strike group were getting ready for a flash strike, as a part of Revolutionary Thingyan strike campaign, at Bogyoke Road in Tat Oo Thidar Ward when Military Council troops unexpectedly arrived in cars and surrounded them. As a result, four individuals - Ko Than Soe Oo, Ma Kyein Dunt Keim, Ma Hnin San, and Ko Myo Ko Win - were arrested.
A couple of hours later, the Military Council compelled the detainees to reveal the location of their homes, and their houses were immediately sealed off. The Military Council also detained Ma Kyein Dunt Keim's mother and her disabled niece on that day. The disabled woman was released on April 18th, but as of now, Ma Kyein Dunt Keim's mother has not been released by the Military Council, according to a relative.
Despite facing harsh and brutal crackdowns, Kale Township's main strike group has persisted in their daily demonstrations against the coup Military Council through any means necessary, spanning around 800 consecutive days.
