More than 50 innocent civilians from Sagkaygyin village in Monywa Township, Sagaing Region, who were detained as human shields by the military council, have been sentenced to 5 years in prison after being held for over a year. On March 14, 2024, military council troops entered Sagkaygyin village firing weapons, arrested villagers with their hands tied behind their backs, and took them away. The arrested civilians were detained at Monywa No. 1 Police Station for over a year, according to local sources.
During their detention, the military council troops demanded money from the civilians for food and document processing fees, forcing them to pay for their potential release. When raiding Sagkaygyin village, the troops burned down over 400 houses, killed 4 villagers, and one young man had to have his leg amputated due to gunshot wounds. Additionally, the military council soldiers looted villagers’ jewelry and motorcycles, and burned some motorcycles and sidecars.
On March 26, the military council charged the more than 50 detained civilians under Section 52(a) and sentenced them each to 5 years imprisonment. Local residents point out that this case of using innocent civilians as human shields, unlawful detention, and imprisonment exemplifies the military council’s ongoing oppression of the people. The military’s actions in Sagkaygyin village demonstrate their continued use of violence and intimidation against civilians, including arbitrary arrests, property destruction, and the imposition of unjust sentences on innocent people.
