File Photo: A village in Beilin Township that was destroyed by an airstrike by the Military Council
Mizzima
In Mon State, the human rights situation, in particular, is seeing an escalation of violence, according to the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM).
The military has been cutting off food and water supplies to people affected by conflict, shelling displacement camps and religious sites. It has also targeted displaced people attempting to harvest rice from their fields and deliberately destroyed food stocks and medical relief supplies, according to HURFOM.
On Human Rights Day, 10 December, at least 20 residents of Thanbyuzayat were arrested by the military junta, according to local sources. Those captured were from the Aung Zay Ya extended ward, the Six Intersections, Aung Chan Thar, and around the School Ward.
A Thanbyuzayat resident said: “Five people were taken from Aung Zay Ya’s extended ward. They were abducted based on allegations of supporting the resistance movement. They keep arresting people in Thanbyuzayat City,”
Previously, on the evening of 7 December, junta troops had arrested people including well-known wealthy individuals, in Thanbyuzayat City. The junta demanded money from the arrested people for their release and they were later released, according to residents of Thanbyuzayat who spoke to HURFOM.
A week before those arrests, on 30 November, junta soldiers in Thanbyuzayat City arrested U Mya Than, age 44, of Aung Zay Ya extended ward, in possession of a Zoraki M906-TD pistol with 39 bullets.
On 7 December, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and People’s Defence Forces (PDFs) launched a drone attack on the junta’s No. 314 Artillery Battalion.
In retaliation, the artillery battalion fired at least 20 artillery shells into the Karen National Union (KNU) controlled villages of Ah Won Gyi, Shwe Yaung Pya, and Pan Aung Gone, in Bilin Township, Mon State.
La Aw, age 44, was hit and killed by the artillery fire as he rode his motorcycle in Shwe Yaung Pya Village.
“About ten artillery shells fell into Shwe Yaung Pya village that day. The villagers entered the bomb shelter immediately, but unfortunately, a villager died. The motorcycle was also damaged”, said a local.
The artillery fire also destroyed six houses and injured two cow
