About ten local villagers residing in Shan State South’s Monghsu township and Shan State North’s Tangyan township, where clashes of Shan State Progress Party/ Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA) and Burma Army are taking place almost everyday, were killed by unknown perpetrators last week during the Water Festival Songkran days, according to local sources from Monghsu township.
The victims were five Shans and five Lahu nationalities from areas between Monghsu and Tangyan townships.
The five Lahus were a family from Wan Loi village of Tangyan Township. Villagers found their remains in their own house, said a local.
“Villagers went to look for them because none of them came to Church. When the villagers arrived, they found their remains on the ground and their bodies had begun to smell,” he said. “We did not know why they were killed.”
A similar incident also took place in Wan Nam Jarng village near Wan Loi village. A village headman together with other 3 local villagers were killed during the same period. The perpetrators still remain unknown, a source from a nearby village said.
At least one, Long Aung Myat, 72, from Quarter No. 1 of Monghsu was believed to be killed by Burma Army soldiers, after being accused as an agent of Shan rebels, local villagers said.
“He would gaze at the Burma Army’s new Infantry Battalion (IB) 149 located south of the town, whenever he passed through to take a shower. So they [the soldiers] charged him as a spy for the Shan army,” he said. “His family received Kyat 100, 000 (US$100) for compensation and was ordered to tell no one about the case.”
Long Aung Myat’s body was buried at once on the day of his killing.
Currently, villagers in the areas are in fear of the next killing that might happen again, according to local villagers.
Monghsu is one of the townships where the Burma Army has launched an offensive against the SSPP/SSA since 13 March. The ongoing conflict has affected more than 100,000 civilians, reported Chiangmai-based Shan community on 12 April.
