According to local sources, civilians in Chaung-U Township, Sagaing Region, are fleeing their homes as military council forces have conducted raids in urban wards, killing 9 civilians and arresting hundreds of others. The military operations began on July 18 and continued through July 24, during which large numbers of troops entered residential areas of Chaung-U town and conducted arbitrary arrests and interrogations of civilians.
Among those detained, 8 civilians from Myothit Ward and 1 civilian from nearby Pae Pyit Taw village were brutally killed by military council soldiers, according to local sources. During their raids of residential areas, the soldiers forcibly confiscated mobile phones from civilians and continue to conduct arrests and interrogations up to the present time. Local residents report that these actions by military council forces appear to be aimed at establishing complete control over all urban wards of Chaung-U and are being carried out in response to suspicions about information leaks regarding their movements, leading to lawless acts of torture and persecution against civilians.
Currently, military council soldiers continue to raid every ward in Chaung-U town, arresting not only people traveling on the streets but also entering homes to make arrests. As a result, the majority of the town’s residents have been forced to flee to safer locations. The military’s ongoing campaign of arrests, killings and home invasions has created an atmosphere of terror, causing widespread displacement as civilians seek refuge from the violence and persecution being carried out by military forces who are operating with complete impunity in their attempts to establish control over the area.
