More than 360 civilians have died in Tanintharyi Region by the end of January this year since the February 2021 military coup, according to a report published by the research group Southern Monitor on 7 January.
Most of the civilian deaths were attributed to artillery fire during armed battles, arbitrary arrests and killings by members of the military council-backed Pyu Saw Htee militia for alleged security reasons, and the eradication of junta informants by resistance forces.
Among them, 25 people were killed and eight wounded in January, while the number of civilian casualties continues to rise, according to Southern Monitor.
After the coup, regime troops and members of the Pyu Saw Htee set fire to some nearly 230 houses in Tanintharyi, 33 of which were burned down in January alone.
A total of 33 clashes occurred in the region in January, forcing more than 7,000 residents to flee, the monitoring group said.
Currently, displaced people are in need of dry rations, shelter and warm clothing. They have not yet received humanitarian aid due to restrictions imposed by the military council on the shipment of goods, the Southern Monitor statement said.
Sent by Than Lwin Times.