December 9th, 2021
From September to early December, more than 500 houses including churches were burned down in downtown Htantalan in Chin State due to the firing of heavy weapons and arson by the military council’s troops.
The fire outbreaks are due to the indiscriminate shooting by the military council’s troops in the downtown area after fighting between the military council and the Chinland Defense Force (CDF)-Thantlang in Thantlang Township where there are around 2,000 households and around 10,000 populations.
During four months from September 18 to December 5th, there were 11 fire outbreaks in Thantlang Township, destroying more than 500 houses due to the firing of heavy weapons and arsons, said a spokesperson of the CDF-Thantlang.
Since September, around 530 houses have been burned down. It can be said that it accounts for more than one-fourth of houses, he added.
Fire outbreaks were reported mostly in Zonemon, Lontee, Zay, Agriculture and Church wards in downtown Thantlang.
According to the record by Thantlang Placement Affairs Committee-IDPs Help, a total of 518 houses were burned down—19 houses on September 18th, 164 on October 29th, 278 from November 6th to 29th and 57 on December 4th and 5th.
Five churches namely, Church on the Rock, Presbyterian Church, Thantlang Centenary Baptist Church, United Pentecostal Church, St.Nicholas’ Catholic Church were burned down.
“The earlier fire outbreaks were due to the indiscriminate shooting by the military council’s troops. Later, the military intentionally burned the houses and churches. We have got video footage,” the spokesperson continued.
Since the fire outbreaks, the people in Thantlang Township have been taking shelter in villages on the India-Myanmar border and Mizoram State of India.
There are frequent clashes between the military council’s troops and the CDF-Thantlang.
Sent by the KMG.