August 8, 2022
Miitary council troops have reportedly torched more than 50 houses, including a church, in Tharyarkone village on the southern Kale-Gangaw Road in Sagaing Region.
Fierce fighting between the People’s Defense Forces (PDF) and military council troops has occurred near the Technological University (Kale) since early August. As a result, coup regime troops stationed in the village burned more than 50 houses in the three days from August 2 to 4, said a resident of Tharyarkone village.
“A total of 52 houses were set on fire [by junta troops] in three days, including a church. They burned down the Cornerstone Community Church. The other church is still in good condition. They started setting fire to the houses on Tuesday, but I don’t know how many. On Wednesday they burned down more than 20 houses and by Thursday it was already more than 50. I do not know how many houses are burned down every day. Within three days 52 houses were burned down,” said the villager.
Tharyarkone village has about 1500 people with more than 300 households, and it is a village where the majority of residents are Chin.
Due to the fighting that has been going on since the beginning of August, all the villagers have fled to the safer areas near Kale. They are reportedly being supported by a community church and civil society organizations.
“We are living in a church at the moment. We had to flee the village around 10 p.m. and we could only take one or two pieces of clothing. But when we got there, the church members gave us blankets. So now it is comfortable,” said a resident of Tharyarkone village.
He added that when the junta troops entered the village, about 30 people, including women, children and elderly people, were trapped in the village, who were later arrested by the military council on August 6.
In recent days, fierce fighting between military council troops and combined resistance forces has also reportedly forced villagers from Htaukkyant, Kyarinn, Thanthar and Twanchaung villages to flee to safety, according to reports.
Sent by KMG