Junta troops killed a village defence force member and set several houses on fire after they opened fire in Mae Kae and Kyauk Ai villages in the Taung Pyauk area of Dawei’s Thayet Chaung township on 2 and 3 April.

A local resident said that the village defence force member was killed and several villagers were arrested and their homes set on fire after junta’s troops had continuously fired heavy weapons from Chaung Gyi Police station, in Mae Kae Village from 2 pm to 5 pm on 2 April.

"When I found out that my comrade was shot, I tried to go and rescue him, but I couldn’t. There were bullet holes all over his back. While trying to rescue him, three shells landed where I was, so I was not able to save my comrade. This morning, the comrade who was killed will be buried,” said a representative from the village defence force.

During fighting on 2 April, junta troops set fire to houses after nearly 100 were stationed near the monastery compound in Mae Kae Village and fired at least 30 rounds of 40mm and 60mm grenades from grenade launchers, according to locals.

On the morning of 3 April junta troops set fire to the houses of NLD supporters and other houses in Kyauk Ai Village, according to a local resident.

"The fighting resumed this morning. It is impossible to say how many houses were burned. There are no villagers in the villages,” said a displaced villager.

It was reported that nearly 10 million kyats and gold jewelry were lost from a house that was burned down by the junta troops.

The junta forces have been stationed in monasteries and schools, and fighting is taking place between the junta troops and People's Defense Forces (PDF) members.

As a result of the Conflict, about 7,000 people from 9 of the 10 villages in the Taung Pyauk area, which includes the villages of Mae Kae and Kyauk Ai, are hiding in the nearby forests and hills. They are in need of medicine and food, according to relief and resettlement groups.