Military council soldiers and Pyu Saw Htee militia members from the Bukone checkpoint on the Shwebo-Myitkyina road in Kanbalu Township, Sagaing Region, burned six civilians alive, including two children, while one person managed to escape, according to a representative from the Kyunhla Activists Group. The incident occurred around 8 AM on September 9th, when seven people were traveling on three motorcycles from Shwebo towards Kanbalu Township. The victims were U Lay Soe Tint (45), Ko Chit Thae Maung (23), Ko Than Zaw Htun (23), Ko Yay Way Moe (18), Moe Thet Kha (16), Chan Phyo Way (14), and Maung Maung (pseudonym, 15). They were arrested at the Bukone junction shelter between Yekyunoo village and Bukone village.
After their arrest, the victims were taken to the Bukone monastery where they were tortured and denied food and water for four consecutive days. On the evening of September 12th, they were tied up with their hands behind their backs and burned alive using car tires. Among those killed, only 15-year-old Maung Maung managed to escape. The victims were residents of Hngetnpyawting village (old) who had been working at a gold mine in Sintku area due to financial hardship when they were captured while returning home. According to Maung Maung’s testimony, after their arrest, they were forced to remove their shirts and beaten with fresh bamboo poles. They were tied up and tortured without food for four days before being forced onto a pile of tires, beaten on their heads with sticks until they lost consciousness, and then set on fire.
Military council forces and Pyu Saw Htee militia members have been conducting operations in Kanbalu Township for nearly a month, continuously burning villages and arresting and killing innocent civilians. They are attempting to control the Shwebo-Myitkyina strategic road and have established positions at Yekyunoo, Bukone junction, and Zeekon-Malae intersection. The Kyunhla Activists Group has warned local residents to be extremely cautious when traveling as the military forces frequently arrest and kill civilians in these areas.
The victims were from the old Hngetnpyawting village, which is located near military positions. They had been working at the gold mines due to economic hardship when they encountered the military forces. According to local sources, the military has intensified its operations in the area, making it increasingly dangerous for civilians to travel or conduct their daily activities. The brutal killing of these civilians, including minors, demonstrates the ongoing violence perpetrated by the military council against the people of Myanmar, particularly in regions where resistance to military rule remains strong. The Kyunhla Activists Group continues to document these atrocities while warning local residents about the dangers of traveling through military-controlled areas.
