File Photo – Pyin Gong Kyi Village, which was destroyed by the military council / Photo: Kalay Township People’s Administration
Mizzima
Junta soldiers have been setting fire to villages and stealing villagers’ belongings in villages in the northern areas of Kalay Township in Sagaing Region bordering Chin State.
On the night of 19 April junta soldiers based in Segyi Village in the northern part of Kalay Township set fire to the nearby villages of Hantha and Yaukchokwin, also in Kalay Township.
A member of the Kalay Township People’s administration said: “There has been no direct fighting with the junta until now. Instead, villages are being raided by junta columns and subsequently set ablaze. However, due to restricted access to these villages, the full extent of the destruction remains unknown.”
Items such as rice, paddy, oil containers, refrigerators, fans, and tables are amongst the things that the junta soldiers have confiscated and taken to the Regional Military Command in Kalay Town.
“Members of the junta are taking people’s belongings away in military vehicles. They are even taking broken bikes and motorcycles. They are confiscating all food and essential items”, said a witness.
Some residents have speculated that the junta destroyed and looted the villages to deny people’s defence force (PDF) groups supplies and support. This seems to be a return to the army’s Four Cuts policy. Developed in the 1960s the Four Cuts policy aims to cut off insurgent groups from food sources, funds, information and recruits.
The junta killed 80 civilians in Kalay Township from February until April 2024, according to the Kalay Township People’s Strike Steering Committee.
The junta was continuing to set fire to villages in the north of Kalay Township at the time of reporting.
