The Junta has carried out arson on m0re than 6000 Houses since the coup in Sagaing Division
After the Military Council declared Khin-U Township a martial law area, 75 villages were burned down by the Military Council troops, causing more than 30,000 people to lose their homes.
According to an official from the Khin-U Information Team, since February 2023, which marked the second anniversary of the military coup, a series of village burnings have occurred in Khin-U Township in the hotly-contested Sagaing Division.These burnings have been carried out under the pretext of "area clearance" as the Military Council declared 37 townships as martial law areas.
According to a representative from the Khin-U Information Team, "After the coup, 75 villages in Khin-U Township were burned down, affecting over 30,000 people. Their main struggle now is to make a living each day, and life has become very challenging."
“In terms of loss and destruction, Khin-U is the hardest hit by the military,” said Lynn Yaung, claiming the people maintained their “revolutionary spirit” despite being outmatched by the military’s superior firepower.
According to the Khin-U Township Information Group, a Facebook page run by anti-military resistance groups, at least 2,646 houses had been burnt down in 59 village tracts since the February 2021 coup, as of December4 2022. Now this figure has nearly doubled.
Khin-U Township, which encompasses 174 villages, the new total is over 6,000 houses in 75 villages were destroyed as a result of combat operations carried out by the Military Council troops following the coup.
According to those aiding the internally displaced persons (IDPs), over 30,000 individuals affected by the village fires have taken refuge in secure forested areas, where combat operations cannot be conducted. Additionally, some have sought shelter in schools, monasteries, and temporary tents made from the remaining zinc sheets salvaged from the burned structures.
A fire-affected resident has reported that out of the over 6,000 houses that were burned, more than 4,000 of them belong to villages located in the western part of Khin-U Township. These affected villagers are currently facing challenges in accessing food and finding adequate shelter.
"We require assistance on a daily basis. As the conflict persists, we are compelled to keep moving every day. Having a stable job would greatly support our daily sustenance. Currently unemployed, we rely solely on the generosity of donors. We barely manage to have one meal a day, and there are occasions when we have nothing to eat except rice porridge."
After the declaration of martial law in early February this year, residents have attested that villages in Khin-U Township were subjected to a series of combat operations by two columns, namely Light Infantry Battalion 364 and Infantry Battalion 701. These burnings have taken place under the pretext of "clearing the area" during combat operations conducted by the aforementioned military units.
On March 3, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) made an announcement stating that over 60,000 homes have been burned and destroyed throughout Myanmar since the coup took place. Additionally, it was reported that more than 1.5 million civilians have been forced to seek safety by fleeing their homes.
