Myanmar s military killings and fires in Rakhine again

Myanmar s military sets a village on fire in Rakhine State s Kyauktaw Township and killed two civilians on Thursday evening_ said residents. Troops shelled Phayapaung Village on the Yangon-Sittwe road at around 8 pm on Thursday before torching houses and killing two villagers_ according to relatives of the victims. Yu Neo Mang Hla_ father of 27-year-old Ko Mong Nint Win_ said_ My son was returning from work in Kyauktaw by bike at around 5 pm when he encountered Tatmadaw [military] troops. They told him to lead them. An explosion occurred near the village and the troops attacked. Then military trucks from the Kyauktaw direction surrounded the village. Villagers were told to leave their homes as soldiers looted their belongings before setting their houses ablaze. After a round of shots_ they stopped for a while. Then trucks came and we were told to leave our homes. We saw soldiers taking our belongings and putting them on the trucks. As I went closer_ they fired a warning shot at me. We were forced out of our houses which were then burned_ he told. There are nearly 400 houses in the village and over 200 were reduced to ash_ said villager U San Tun Hla. He said_ I think over 200 houses were burned down. We still can t make a list. Many villagers have fled. Soldiers said they would shoot if we tried to put out the fires. Myanmar s military spokesman_ Major General Zaw Min Tun_ denied the accusations_ saying troops were attacked with a roadside bomb near the village. Two bodies and a gun were seized in the incident. The two villagers were found dead with gunshot wounds on Friday morning by the river near the village and they have been sent to Kyauktaw for a postmortem. A 40-year-old man from Kyaukgusu Village in Kyauktaw was allegedly shot dead by Myanmar s military on August 31. The following day_ a 27-year-old man from Shwepyi Village also died of gunshot wounds with residents blaming Myanmar s military. On Aug. 27_ a male Shanywa villager and a female Apaukwa villager in Kyauktaw were allegedly shot dead by the military. Source- irrawaddy