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Myanmar junta forces murder seven civilians in Wetlet village

July 7, 2023/in News

Regime troops killed seven people and injured several others in three separate incidents in and around the village of Thamayoe in Sagaing Region’s Wetlet Township on Thursday, according to local sources. Phoe Lwin, a 55-year-old fishmonger, was reportedly shot dead when he ran into a junta column just outside of the village, which is located […]

Shan State official who joined CDM killed in custody

July 6, 2023/in News

A former civil servant who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) against military rule died days after his arrest in northern Shan State more than a year ago, his family has recently learned. Htay Lin Aung was a deputy staff officer with the General Administration Department in Shan State’s Nawnghkio Township when he decided to […]

Myanmar junta forces murder seven civilians in Wetlet village

July 7, 2023/in News

Shan State official who joined CDM killed in custody

July 6, 2023/in News

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Myanmar junta forces murder seven civilians in Wetlet village

July 7, 2023/in News

Phoe Lwin, a 55-year-old fishmonger, was reportedly shot dead when he ran into a junta column just outside of the village, which is located on the eastern bank of the Muu River some 25km west of the township’s administrative centre.

Then, at around 4:30am, the same column opened fire on a truck that was carrying six women to a neighbouring village to sell goods in the local market, according to Thamayoe residents.

The truck’s driver and three of his passengers were killed instantly, and at least one of the other women was said to be in critical condition.

“They shot at the tractor from the front, hitting the engine many times. The women had many gunshot wounds. Some were killed right away by shots to the head, while others bled to death,” said a local man who spoke to Myanmar Now on condition of anonymity.

The four who were killed were identified as the 27-year-old driver, Lwin Moe, and three of his passengers: Hnin Hlaing, 57, Aye Nu Win, 40, and Nu Khine, 46.

“It infuriates me that they did this to civilians for no reason. It wouldn’t be so painful if the victims were resistance fighters,” said the local man.

Resistance forces operating in the area said they had to wait until around 6am to rescue the survivors, as some of the junta troops stayed behind to shoot anyone who approached the victims.

“They were shot all over their bodies and their wounds were very bad. We couldn’t save everyone, as some had already died,” said an officer of the Shwebo District People’s Defence Force (PDF).

After this second shooting, the junta column of around 60 soldiers entered Thamayoe, where they proceeded to kill two more villagers.

Phyu Phyu San, 30, and Thein Hlaing, 62, were both shot to death on sight while trying to run away from the approaching soldiers, according to the PDF officer and other sources.

Two of the women who were killed by junta troops near the village of Thamayoe in Wetlet Township on July 6 (Supplied)

“The woman was shot in the chest, arms and legs, while the man was shot in the head at point blank range. His brains were splattered all over the place. They ran into the assaulting junta column while trying to flee,” he said.

The column then ransacked several houses in the village and looted shops in the market before crossing the Muu River to Ayadaw Township sometime before noon.

The bodies of the deceased were all cremated later the same day, according to a member of a local volunteer group who helped to recover their remains.

“It was heartbreaking, but I braced myself and retrieved the bodies. The fact that they were just civilians made it that much sadder,” he said.

In late June, another junta column of around 100 troops reportedly killed four civilians during raids on villages in western Wetlet Township.

The military also carried out a series of airstrikes on villages near the town of Wetlet on June 29.

The column responsible for Thursday’s killings reportedly left Shwebo Township the day before and spent the night in Ywar Thar Gyi, a village located about 13km east of Thamayoe.

Myanmar Now News

Shan State official who joined CDM killed in custody

July 6, 2023/in News

A former civil servant who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) against military rule died days after his arrest in northern Shan State more than a year ago, his family has recently learned.

Htay Lin Aung was a deputy staff officer with the General Administration Department in Shan State’s Nawnghkio Township when he decided to quit his job in support of the CDM shortly after the military seized power in February 2021.

After several attempts to arrest him for taking part in anti-regime protests, the junta finally managed to apprehend him at a toll gate near the entrance to the town of Kyaukme on March 8, 2022.

His family completely lost contact with him after that and has only recently received confirmation of his death in custody six days later, a source close to the family told Myanmar Now.

According to the source, who did not want to be named, appeals to the International Committee of the Red Cross and other organizations that provide assistance to political prisoners failed to yield any information about Htay Lin Aung’s fate.

However, a reliable source with knowledge of the case recently informed his family that he was beaten to death at the Kyaukme District Interrogation Centre for refusing to betray others taking part in the CDM.

“His hands were tied behind his back and his head was covered with a cloth. He chose to die. He gave his life to protect others,” said the family friend, citing the inside source.

Now that they know for sure what has happened to Htay Lin Aung, his wife and children will hold a donation ceremony in his memory, the family friend added.

An estimated 70% of civil servants in Nawnghkio Township joined the CDM after the coup. Many are currently being held in Lashio Prison, where they are serving long sentences for opposing the regime.

Protesters hold signs in support of the Civil Disobedience Movement during an anti-coup rally in 2021 (Myanmar Now)

A number of people taking part in the CDM around the country are known to have died in junta custody.

Win Lwin, a teacher from Sintgaing Township in Mandalay Region, was reported dead a day after his arrest on November 1, 2021. Another teacher from Mandalay Region’s Thabeikkyin Township named Zaw Min Aung died just hours after his arrest later in the same month.

Hlaing Win, a teacher from Sagaing Region’s Kanbalu Region, was killed within days of his arrest in December 2021, and in October of last year, another CDM teacher named Saw Moe Tun was beheaded by regime forces in Pauk Township, Magway Region.

According to the latest figures released by the Association for the Assistance of Political Prisoners (AAPP), the Myanmar junta continues to hold a total of 19,311 dissidents, including some ousted government leaders, in its custody.

The AAPP also claims that as of July 4, at least 3,745 people have died at the hands of the regime over the past two and a half years.

Myanmar Now News

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ND Burma

ND-Burma formed in 2004 in order to provide a way for Burma human rights organizations to collaborate on the human rights documentation process. The 13 ND-Burma member organizations seek to collectively use the truth of what communities in Burma have endured to advocate for justice for victims. ND-Burma trains local organizations in human rights documentation; coordinates members’ input into a common database using Martus, a secure open-source software; and engages in joint-advocacy campaigns.

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