October 16, 2025
Update: Arson attacks and arbitrary arrest by junta troops in Ywangan township, southern Shan State
From the last week of August to late September 2025, arson attacks by junta troops resulted in the destruction of 60 houses, 90 rice granaries, one camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs), and several farm huts in Ywangan township. The burning of rice granaries led to losses valued at 150 million kyat. Additionally, five civilians, including an 8-year-old girl, were arbitrarily arrested.
Beginning in the last week of July 2025, about 500 junta soldiers from Kalaw-based LID 55 and Meiktila-based LID 99 conducted “area clearance” operations against the People’s Defense Forces (PDF) in villages along the Ywangan-Meiktila border in western Ywangan township. This led to clashes with PDF members from the last week of July to the second week of August.
In the afternoon of August 18, junta forces used a helicopter to drop two bombs on Kyauktaw village and one bomb on Nyaung Pin Thar village, damaging several civilian homes. Then, from August 19 to 21, junta troops stationed in Pyi Nyaung village, Thazi township, Mandalay region, fired 155mm howitzers into the forest and mountain areas where villagers from Kyauktaw and Nyaung Pin Thar were taking shelter. On August 21, junta aircraft dropped three more bombs on Kyauktaw and Nyaung Pin Thar villages.
On August 23, about 80 soldiers from a junta column arrived in Kyauktaw village, occupied it, and began looting property from homes and slaughtering livestock, including buffalo and cattle, for food. At around 7 pm on August 25, these soldiers set fire to the village and withdrew the following morning. The arson attack resulted in 37 homes being burned to the ground.
During the first week of September, about 100 junta personnel, including soldiers from LID 55 and their affiliated militia, advanced into the forest where residents of Min Palaung village were sheltering. The villagers, who had been living in tents in the forest since their homes were burned down in December 2024, were forced to flee once again. The advancing column proceeded to burn down the temporary shelters of the displaced Min Palaung villagers.
On September 13, a force of about 120 junta soldiers from LID 99 re-entered Kyauktaw village, torching farm huts located on the outskirts of the village. On September 14 and 15, they continued their arson attacks, destroying another 23 homes in Kyauktaw village and 90 rice granaries, with an estimated value of 150 million kyat.
On September 15, the same military column advanced into the hills and forests near Kyauktaw village. They discovered a cave where civilians were hiding and arrested six people: U Maung Myint (age 54), Daw Tin Moe Hlaing (age 35), and Ma Pont Pont (age 8) from Phoe Tha Naing village, Thazi township; and U Than Hlaing (age 53) and Daw Khin Nyo Myint (age 51) from Kyauktaw village. They were all taken to Meiktila.
On September 24, a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall occurred at an IDP camp in the forest where villagers from Nyaung Pin Thar and Kyauktaw were sheltering. Ten people, including three children, were killed. In the last week of September, junta troops destroyed five more shelters belonging to displaced Kyauktaw villagers in the forest.
Currently, junta troops remain stationed in Kyauktaw and Nyaung Pin Thar villages. Nearly 500 displaced civilians are still too afraid to return to their homes and continue to live in the surrounding forests. They are in urgent need of emergency assistance, including food and shelter.
Contact:
Sai Hor Hseng +66 94 728 6696 Signal (Shan, English)
Ying Leng Harn +1 825 425 4099 Signal (Burmese)
Sai Hark Jet +1 343 304 5332 Signal (English, Shan)
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