Military council troops and members of the junta-backed Pyu Saw Htee militia set fire to the Basic Education High School of Nyaungzin village in Thayetchaung Township, Tanintharyi Region, on the afternoon of February 3, causing the building to burn and destroy almost completely, locals reported.
More than 30 regime soldiers and members of the Pyu Saw Htee arrived in the village after a member of the Pyu Saw Htee was killed around 8 am that day, and set fire to the high school building around noon.
“The school was set on fire shortly after they arrived in the village after a Pyu Saw Htee member was killed. We heard that members of the Pyu Saw Htee set the school on fire. The fire was quite fierce. After a while, military council soldiers and firefighters arrived at the scene. Actually, they were trying to tarnish the image of the PDF for something they had done. They didn’t let anyone near the school at that time,” a local resident told Than Lwin Times.
When the school burned, military council troops fired about eight artillery shells to scare people, so villagers were afraid to help put out the fire, he said.
The school had been closed since the military coup. Before the coup, the school was normally attended by nearly 1,000 students.
He further said that almost the entire U-shaped, two-story building was engulfed by the fire.
After the fire, military council soldiers patrolled the area around Nyaungzin village until about 3 pm.
Locals said the military council soldiers also arrested a man on suspicion.
As fire engulfed the school building, about 50 junta soldiers entered the village and fired rifles.
Currently, some residents of Nyaungzin village have reportedly fled to safer places, while others are monitoring the situation in the village.
Sent by Than Lwin Times.
