Four local men in Ywangan Township, Taunggyi District, Shan State, were arrested by Military Council troops due to alleged links with the Danu People Liberation Army (DPLA).

The Military Council soldiers are disseminating misleading information, alleging that these arrests are linked to DPLA, a brand-new PDF resistance armed organization announced to have been established on July 29th

During the evening of July 31st, Military Council soldiers conducted arrests of four men residing in Hlwasin and Peyintaung villages in Ywangan, taking them into custody from their homes, witnesses told Shan Herald.

"I saw the soldiers and their subordinate Pyu-Saw-Htee militia coming to the village in a car and several motorcycles. They had lots of guns with them. They arrested two Hlwasin villagers, and it seemed like they were after the father of a detainee. They took the son into custody, since they couldn't find the father. It was terrible to watch the soldiers burning down the houses of those they arrested”, according to a villager.

The two arrested Hlwasin villagers were Ko Myint Oo and Ko Win Thein, both in their 30s. The soldiers had primarily intended to apprehend U Ba Wai, Ko Win Thein's father, but he managed to escape before they arrived, so his son was arrested instead. During the incident, the soldiers destroyed the furniture and other items in U Ba Wai's house and set it on fire.

Likewise, the soldiers forcefully entered Peyintaung village, apprehending two inhabitants and deliberately setting a home ablaze, as verified by the witnessing villagers.

“We can confirm the arrest of two villagers in Peyintaung, but there may be more. The soldiers accused them of being connected to the DPLA and even interrogated their family members. These arrested individuals are innocent villagers who live peacefully and have no involvement with any resistance movements”, a local woman in her 30s said.

Following the arrest of U Tin Oo, a resident of Peyintaung, by Military Council troops, his family members were evicted from the house, and the troops proceeded to set the house on fire. The Military Council soldiers are disseminating misleading information, alleging that these arrests are linked to DPLA, a brand-new resistance armed organization announced to have been established on July 29th.

Peyintaung, a village with a tragic past of military brutality, endured a devastating air raid in April 2022. Adding to the horror, 9 innocent villagers were inhumanely massacred by the Junta soldiers, falsely alleging their connection to the People's Defense Force (PDF).