The military council’s troops arrested around 20 staff who have joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) in Palaw Township in Myeik District on the evening of November 10th, according to a local news source.
A local told the KIC: “I don’t know where they went at around 6.30 pm. I think they got arrested as the military tried to arrest them, and they ran last night. Among the detainees is a doctor.”
The military council’s troops beat and kicked the detainees before villagers, he continued.
At present, the military council’s troops are active in Shandwat, Madaw, Yayshan, Jetgar, Michaungtheik and Chuanghla village-tracts in Pulaw Township.
Yesterday, a military column of around 60 soldiers entered the region.
Today, the military reinforced around 50 soldiers here, according to locals.
There are encounters between the military council’s troops and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) under the Brigade-4 of the Karen National Union (KNU). Villagers have to flee to safer places due to fighting, according to the KNU officials and locals.
Padoh Falaw Soe Win, Spokesperson of the KNU’s Brigade-4 said: “I don’t hear the arrest of CDM staff yet. The one point is that fighting took place when the military council’s troops entered the village. The military council’s troops arrested the fleeing villagers found outside the village and then released them.
The KIC is unable to confirm who are the detained CDM staff.
The KNU’s regional commander said: “Only three persons got arrested in Madaw two days ago. The military beat and arrested them. I think the military shall kill them. The detainees have no prospect of being alive.”
On November 7th, soldiers under the Light Infantry Battalion-285 of the military council took nearly 20 civilians from Madaw village in Palaw Township to a monastery and detained there as human shields, according to locals.
Currently, the military council’s troops are carrying out more military activities in the region. There is a military tension between the military and the KNU and the People’s Defence Force (PDF).
The KNU and the PDF find it difficult to attack the military as the military has used the locals as human shields, said members of local PDF.
Sent by the KIC.