In U Shit Pin City, Pantaung Township, Bago Region, Ward Administrator Aung Ko of Pyitawtha Ward is forcing local residents to cook food as unpaid labor and deliver food packages to the frontline. During the ongoing battles on the Bago Yoma mountain range, the military council troops are reportedly starving, leading the Pyitawtha Ward Administrator to force residents to cook meals for the troops on a rotating basis by street.
In the current situation, the military council forces are suffering heavy casualties in the battles on Bago Yoma, with troops experiencing low morale, many deserting or returning to the rear without orders. Due to these heavy losses, administrators and hundred-household heads in U Shit Pin City are being ordered to organize supplies from civilians to support the military. The ward administrator is implementing a systematic rotation requiring households to cook meals and deliver them to the administrative office, claiming the soldiers only have preserved bamboo shoots and three dried fish to eat.
Additionally, military council gambling den operators and gamblers are collecting donations for the soldiers including bottled water, soft drinks, dried fish, fermented fish paste, betel leaves, and dried noodles. Local residents report being forced into this support system through lists and schedules managed by the ward administrator, who requires the cooked meals to be delivered to his office. This forced labor and collection of supplies comes as the military council faces increasing pressure and casualties in the ongoing conflicts in the region.
