Prisoners of war and family members who were starved for months due to military council’s neglect in Thaw Tha village, Mawlaik Township, Sagaing Region, have revealed they are receiving good treatment after being captured by People’s Defense Forces (PDF). On August 15, Battalion 2 and 4 of Mawlaik District and Phaunggyi Township PDF forces attacked and seized the military council camp led by Pyu Saw Htee leader Ae Pan, capturing over 190 Pyu Saw Htee family members. The captured POWs disclosed that they suffered from severe food shortages for months due to military neglect, with even children becoming severely malnourished.
POW Private Chit Oo Maung revealed that the military was authoritarian and deliberately cut off their food supplies, forcing them to survive on boiled mushrooms, vegetables, and roselle, sometimes only having rice water to fill their stomachs. However, after falling under PDF custody, they received proper food and medical care. He emphasized that contrary to military propaganda, the PDFs did not execute or torture them as claimed. Similarly, POW Private Ye Myint Htike and People’s Militia member Aung Myoe Oo praised the PDFs’ humane treatment, admitting they had been misled by military propaganda about the PDFs, who actually treated them like brothers. They urged remaining soldiers and militia members to surrender without delay.
Pyu Saw Htee family members including Maung Than Zaw Htun, Maung Zaw Min Oo, and Ma Thandar Hlaing also expressed gratitude for the good treatment they received from the PDFs. The testimonies consistently highlighted the stark contrast between the military’s neglect and the PDFs’ humanitarian approach, countering the military council’s propaganda that PDFs mistreat prisoners. The POWs emphasized that their direct experience proved the military’s claims about PDF brutality were false, as they received adequate food, shelter and medical care after being captured.
