Conflicts escalated into shootouts between police forces and Pyu Saw Htee groups in Lanmadaw and Kamayut Townships of Yangon Region. On June 13 at 8:10 PM, near Junction Mawtin in Lanmadaw Township, six members of the Pyu Saw Htee group attacked a police officer. Following this incident, additional police forces arrived and attempted to arrest and shoot at the Pyu Saw Htee members. The conflict originated from a dispute between a police officer and a Pyu Saw Htee member over matters involving a woman.
According to local sources, the woman had allegedly been in a relationship with a Pyu Saw Htee member and had fraudulently taken money and property from him. The conflict erupted when police provided protection to the woman while Pyu Saw Htee members were searching for her. In this incident, two Pyu Saw Htee members sustained gunshot wounds, and one police officer was severely injured.
A similar incident occurred on May 25 in Kamayut Township. Police seized an unlicensed motorcycle belonging to the wife of Sann Htay, who serves as both the administrator and Pyu Saw Htee leader of Ward 8 in Hlaing Township. In response, approximately 20 Pyu Saw Htee leaders and members from Hlaing Township, armed with weapons, confronted the Kamayut Township police station demanding the return of the motorcycle. The situation escalated into exchanges of gunfire and physical altercations between both sides.
Local residents report that the military council has been organizing former convicts and criminals into Pyu Saw Htee groups throughout Yangon Region, providing them with weapons. These armed groups are being used to oppress civilians, undermining the rule of law and disrupting local peace and stability. The military council’s practice of arming these groups has created an environment of lawlessness and insecurity in the region, according to local residents. The ongoing conflicts between these military-backed Pyu Saw Htee groups and law enforcement highlight the deteriorating security situation in Yangon, where even different armed groups operating under military control are engaging in violent confrontations with each other.
