A representative from the Salin Township People’s Administration Group has confirmed that the military forces killed four civilians with their hands tied behind their backs in Kyapyin North village, Magway Region. Beginning March 6, a military column of approximately 200 troops from Minbu launched consecutive raids on villages within Salin Township. The military forces entered and raided Kyapyin North village from March 9 to 11, during which they arrested seven civilians at the village school and subjected them to various forms of torture.
Among those arrested, two retired persons were released, and one managed to escape. The remaining four civilians – one aged 40, two aged 50, and one aged 60 – were killed by the military forces with their hands tied behind their backs, and their bodies were abandoned within the village. The military operations forced thousands of residents from 24 villages to flee their homes. During this displacement, five civilians with pre-existing medical conditions died while hiding in the forest. The deaths of the displaced persons occurred at different times and locations, according to local sources.
The military forces also burned down more than 400 civilian homes in Napyukan and Kukkotaw villages before withdrawing from Salin Township on March 17. The military has planted landmines in the area, with three mines having been discovered so far according to local residents. The military’s campaign of violence has created a humanitarian crisis in the region, with civilians forced to flee their homes and seek shelter in forested areas, often without access to adequate medical care or basic necessities.
